Episode 2 of Chernobyl was thrilling, eye-opening, and at times, felt a little familiar. While the Chernobyl explosion was extremely different from the COVID-19 pandemic– different circumstances, different time periods, and an entirely different aftermath– I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between how the situations were influenced and manipulated with politics, in-denial, and pure misinformation. Professor Legasov offered a stark resemblance to Dr. Fauci as he used pure science to warn the officials of the severity of the situation, only to be belittled and accused of creating hysteria. In the end, science leads the way in the investigation of the site and sure enough reveals a catastrophe that is far worse than anyone can imagine. It made me wonder how history has a way of repeating itself. I question why people are so reluctant to face the negative, unsettling realities of the world and turn a blind eye in hopes of everything “feeling normal.” Is it politics? Is it just being misinformed? Either way, I think what both this episode and 2020 has showed us is how integral it is for scientists and health experts to have active roles in governing bodies and for us as the public to listen when the numbers, the atoms, and the viruses talk.