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sunset and mask lecture
2022-12-02 18:28I was walking home this evening, and noticed the sunset was absolutely gorgeous. Bright orange to the left, along a washboard of clouds; pink/purple to the right, along thinner clouds. I pointed it out to a passing man, who hadn't noticed, and appreciated it.
Then he said he was a contractor, and asked permission to say something about my mask. I agreed but tensed up, fearing something like "it can't stop viruses", and his actual start of "it was made for smoke" was not promising. But his actual point was that it wouldn't filter my outgoing breath, which I knew, since the final 1 in "3M Aura 9211+" signals a valve. So I assured him that I knew about valves, and would wear an unvalved mask if I were ever close to being the weakest link, and we departed.
(Actually, the CDC had a report suggesting the valve blocks as much as a loose surgical mask, which would mean a valve wouldn't be the weakest link until everyone else was wearing unvalved respirators. But I don't know how solid the report is or whether it scales up to forceful breaths like coughing.)
Then he said he was a contractor, and asked permission to say something about my mask. I agreed but tensed up, fearing something like "it can't stop viruses", and his actual start of "it was made for smoke" was not promising. But his actual point was that it wouldn't filter my outgoing breath, which I knew, since the final 1 in "3M Aura 9211+" signals a valve. So I assured him that I knew about valves, and would wear an unvalved mask if I were ever close to being the weakest link, and we departed.
(Actually, the CDC had a report suggesting the valve blocks as much as a loose surgical mask, which would mean a valve wouldn't be the weakest link until everyone else was wearing unvalved respirators. But I don't know how solid the report is or whether it scales up to forceful breaths like coughing.)