The Atlantic Daily: The Vaccines Have Revived Small Talk
Americans love to discuss getting them, wanting them, and waiting for them. Here are a few other points worth discussing.
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Everyone’s talking about vaccines—getting them, wanting them, waiting for them, comparing them, and feeling their side effects. The shots offer Americans life-saving immunity during the fourth surge of the coronavirus. But they also just represent something new to talk about, my colleague Ian Bogost points out.
With that in mind, here are a few suggested conversation starters for your next gab about the jab.
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The vaccine line is an illusion. Some people are stretching the truth in order to get a poke. Experts told Olga Khazan that it’s better to wait.
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We need to talk about the AstraZeneca vaccine. European vaccine regulators have “been faced with something of a nightmare scenario for vaccine communication,” Hilda Bastian argues.
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D.C. is failing at the vaccination game. Statehood could fix that, the journalist and resident Timothy Noah argues.
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The mRNA technology that the vaccines use could change the world. Its potential applications go far beyond COVID-19, Derek Thompson points out.
What to read if … you’re processing the news that Representative Matt Gaetz is reportedly the subject of a sex-trafficking inquiry:
“An open letter to media outlets discussing the Gaetz investigation: There’s no such thing as an ‘underage woman,’” our staff writer Megan Garber tweeted. “An underage woman is a girl.” Revisit Megan’s piece on the problematic use of the phrase.
Tonight’s Atlantic-approved isolation activity:
Godzilla vs. Kong, out today on HBO Max, is “pure chaos, of course, but chaos that’s strangely soothing to take in,” Shirley Li writes.
Today’s break from the news:
There’s a better way to date online—if you like trains.
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.