Commentary When the novel coronavirus first began to spread, the news was abuzz with predictions of mass infections overwhelming hospitals and dizzying death tolls. We were told COVID-19 would kill millions in the United States alone, with carnage rivaling post-apocalyptic pandemic blockbusters, and dying patients would be left on the streets. We hoarded toilet paper and canned goods like the end was truly nigh. Though no death or sickness should be belittled and each life lost is a tragedy to be mourned, overall, the coronavirus panic was overblown. As Americans’ lives gradually—finally—begin returning to normal, it seems ludicrous to us how fervently we believed the doomsday prophecies trumpeted by media outlets hungry for clicks and viral views (pun intended). This is a lesson we should apply to other contentious issues, such as climate change, that involve questionable data modeling. The trouble with data models is that they’re purely statistical in …