The Pandemic Is Literally Too Big for our Human Brains to Compute

Millions of cases, hundreds of thousands of deaths…  The COVID-19 pandemic can seem like too much to process…  And scientists say that’s because the pandemic is literally too big for our human brains to handle.

Researchers say the human brain isn’t made to process large numbers.  In fact, Cornell professor Daniel Casasanto says large numbers were invented “very recently in human history.”  Casasanto says that’s why people might feel less concerned about the pandemic now than they did, back in the spring – even though the numbers of cases and deaths have grown, exponentially.

Do you find it difficult to wrap your head around the pandemic numbers?  What statistics do you focus on?