One way I could see this being enhanced is a link between the poster and an updateable online list of informational resources for people who wish to go deeper.
A way you could accomplish this is by including a QR code on the poster that links to a durable URL (i.e. not bit.ly, a URL you own), which either hosts or redirects to a repository of deeper information on each topic.
For example, as I look at the poster, one think that jumps out at me is this:
No wet market, no factory farms, better regulation and protocol for labs → No source of zoonotic viruses
Zoonotic viruses are infections spread between people and animals. There is some ambiguity between whether zoonotic means “previously didn’t infect humans, but recently made the jump from an animal host” (i.e. the feared jump of H5N1 from birds to humans) vs. “routinely is transmitted between humans via an animal vector” (i.e. malaria).
People contact wild animals in other settings than wet markets, farms, and labs. For example, a possible COVID precursor infected a large number of mine workers in China via a bat vector. Malaria of course is transmitted by mosquito in ordinary domestic settings. People eat wild meat that they hunted themselves rather than purchasing it in wet markets. So eliminating wet markets, factory farms, and lab leak risk is not sufficient to eliminate all potential sources of zoonotic illness.
I have questions about the rationale for labeling pan-virus vaccines as not being a low-downside intervention, or what evidence we have that factory farms present serious zoonotic risks. But I don’t think this level of nuance can be included on a poster, of course. Creating a way to link the poster to a deeper explanation for those who have these thoughts might be valuable. It would also let you point them to resources if they’re excited about these topics and want to work on them.
I’ve had succeess in a previous project using QR codes on permanent signage to link viewers with specifically crafted informational articles. If this idea interests you, I’m a resource—feel free to reach out!
Thanks for the constructive feedback! I’ve added a link to a larger image as per your suggestion.
An updateable online list of resources seems useful, and I’m currently working on something similar. QR codes didn’t occur to me at all, so thanks for pointing that out! And on zoonotic risk, I was thinking of the other definition (i.e. previously didn’t infect humans), though I agree that vectors such as mosquitoes would also count.
On specific rationales, it’s often hard to speak explicitly about why things are and aren’t low-downside because of info hazard concerns. This is of course a problem when trying to communicate risk levels. This map is just my take on the state of biosecurity interventions. Even within the biosecurity community, there are debates for and against each side. That said, I agree that directed links and resources would be helpful.
That makes sense, best of luck as you continue to develop this resource. I’d also suggest finding a way to make clear what sort of epistemic backing the map has on the map itself. Right now, it is essentially a list of claims. Here on this post, you give some context for those claims, but the map itself doesn’t. So if I was seeing the map as a standalone, I can only evaluate whether or not the connections between the items seem reasonable to me. This is easy to do for well-informed people, but the downside is that this tool is probably most useful for less-informed people. Optimizing this tool for the intended audience might take some more work, but I think it’s a great foundation to build on.
This is a great process and a great product!
One way I could see this being enhanced is a link between the poster and an updateable online list of informational resources for people who wish to go deeper.
A way you could accomplish this is by including a QR code on the poster that links to a durable URL (i.e. not bit.ly, a URL you own), which either hosts or redirects to a repository of deeper information on each topic.
For example, as I look at the poster, one think that jumps out at me is this:
No wet market, no factory farms, better regulation and protocol for labs → No source of zoonotic viruses
Zoonotic viruses are infections spread between people and animals. There is some ambiguity between whether zoonotic means “previously didn’t infect humans, but recently made the jump from an animal host” (i.e. the feared jump of H5N1 from birds to humans) vs. “routinely is transmitted between humans via an animal vector” (i.e. malaria).
People contact wild animals in other settings than wet markets, farms, and labs. For example, a possible COVID precursor infected a large number of mine workers in China via a bat vector. Malaria of course is transmitted by mosquito in ordinary domestic settings. People eat wild meat that they hunted themselves rather than purchasing it in wet markets. So eliminating wet markets, factory farms, and lab leak risk is not sufficient to eliminate all potential sources of zoonotic illness.
I have questions about the rationale for labeling pan-virus vaccines as not being a low-downside intervention, or what evidence we have that factory farms present serious zoonotic risks. But I don’t think this level of nuance can be included on a poster, of course. Creating a way to link the poster to a deeper explanation for those who have these thoughts might be valuable. It would also let you point them to resources if they’re excited about these topics and want to work on them.
I’ve had succeess in a previous project using QR codes on permanent signage to link viewers with specifically crafted informational articles. If this idea interests you, I’m a resource—feel free to reach out!
Thanks for the constructive feedback! I’ve added a link to a larger image as per your suggestion.
An updateable online list of resources seems useful, and I’m currently working on something similar. QR codes didn’t occur to me at all, so thanks for pointing that out! And on zoonotic risk, I was thinking of the other definition (i.e. previously didn’t infect humans), though I agree that vectors such as mosquitoes would also count.
On specific rationales, it’s often hard to speak explicitly about why things are and aren’t low-downside because of info hazard concerns. This is of course a problem when trying to communicate risk levels. This map is just my take on the state of biosecurity interventions. Even within the biosecurity community, there are debates for and against each side. That said, I agree that directed links and resources would be helpful.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond!
That makes sense, best of luck as you continue to develop this resource. I’d also suggest finding a way to make clear what sort of epistemic backing the map has on the map itself. Right now, it is essentially a list of claims. Here on this post, you give some context for those claims, but the map itself doesn’t. So if I was seeing the map as a standalone, I can only evaluate whether or not the connections between the items seem reasonable to me. This is easy to do for well-informed people, but the downside is that this tool is probably most useful for less-informed people. Optimizing this tool for the intended audience might take some more work, but I think it’s a great foundation to build on.
A couple other notes on the map from the standpoint of manufacturing.
The size is nonstandard, meaning that if you have it printed, you’ll have a large zone of whitespace and therefore a lot of wasted cost.
Depending on where and in what format you have it printed, all those colors may add significantly to the cost of printing as well.