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LETTER: What to do during a pandemic lockdown

From reader Ron Robinson
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How to occupy your time during a shutdown is something with which we are all having to deal. In this digital age it is so much easier to have access to and indeed create content and have it posted on the internet. As consumers it is important to be able to sort that content in to the good, bad and ugly. With a little effort one can cross check content claims. YouTube for example has offered two channels that I would put in the “good” category.

Just Have a Think is a well-researched program dealing mainly with current developments in alternate and renewable technologies. Host Dave Borlace packs a lot of current information in to each episode that plays for about 15 minutes.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bubblr.justhaveathink&hl=en&gl=US

Peter Hadfield’s channel Potholer54 has more of a dedicated climate theme with very clear explanations of the various processes involved along with critiques of misunderstandings of those processes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hadfield_(journalist)#:~:text=Peter%20Hadfield%20(born%201%20July,which%20has%20over%20200%2C000%20subscribers.

With both these channels, the hosts provide references and encourage viewers to check those sources or additional ones to verify the content. As an example, one episode from Just Have a Think takes a look at the Jeff Gibbs film Planet of the Humans. The critique looks at the various sources used to generate the content presented in that film. Again, Dave Borlace encourages the viewer to do additional factchecking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmNjLHRAP2U&feature=youtu.be

A case indeed of viewer beware. What could be better during a pandemic lockdown than honing your critical thinking skills and applying it to topical subjects.

Ron Robinson

Nelson