I returned to watch the second episode of the HBO series Chernobyl, fully expecting to see further political meddling in public safety. I was instead shocked to see safety being taken seriously and and the word of experts used as guidance. As much as I felt relieved to see government officials taking the advice of experts (something that is still a problem to this day), it became clear that this behavior did not come from a place of genuine care, but instead from one of personal convenience to further selfish goals. It was made abundantly clear that governmental leadership would have preferred to leave the whole situation hushed and move forward with a false perception if possible. The global recognition of the disaster was all that really pushed the government officials to act as they should have initially, seeing as their reputation was at stake. The most depressing realization to come out of watching Chernobyl are the parallels to contemporary events. Still to this day, the lessons from this tragedy are all too readily ignored, and I can’t help but wonder how many more lives could have been spared today, if we listened to the sacrifices of yesterday.