cough covers
following up on yesterday's post, here's a classic example of enforcing rules without understanding the why. cover your mouth when you cough. when i was a kid adults would get all in your face if you didn't stick your hand over your mouth when you coughed. jebus. i was a frikken kid and i knew that couldn't possibly be the right thing to do. you cough up a germ laden aerosol. if you point your mouth at the ground all those virus particles quickly fall out of harm's way. whereas if you cover your mouth with your hand all those germs get transfered to everything you touch - people, doorknobs, light switches, pencils, money, everything. and from there to other people. the rule seems to have been amended. now you're supposed to cough into your elbow. good. i guess. it's a better rule. but man, whenever you learn a new rule, figure out the why. and apply the rule smartly.