I finished watching the HBO series Station Eleven this week. The TV show is based on the 2014 novel by Canadian writer Emily St. John Mandel and it’s about survivors of a worldwide flu pandemic that quickly wipes out about 99 per cent of the earth’s population. We’ve all used TV as an escape pod during the pandemic as the real world closed in around us. So why watch a show about a fictional pandemic amid an actual pandemic? I was hooked on the complexity of the story, the wonderful cinematography and incredible performances by the main actors – Himesh Patel, Mackenzie Davis and Matilda Lawler.

In the series, the flu is so virulent that billions of people are killed within a few days. There was no chance for science to come to the rescue with a miracle vaccine. As survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic, some day we may realize we truly live in miraculous times. And yet, the news this week focused on those who continue to ignore science – putting themselves at risk as well as adding strain to health care systems that have been overwhelmed for two years.

Québec has decided it will tax those who haven’t yet received the jab. Other countries are bringing in strict vaccine mandates. And Australia is in an incredible showdown with the world’s No. 1 men’s tennis player, Novak Djokovic, who is also quickly establishing his status as the world’s No. 1 anti-vaxxer.

For your weekend reading, I’ve assembled stories from across the global network of The Conversation that give you the latest on Djokovic (as well as a great explainer on the politician who wants him out of the country), contemplate the legality and ethics of vaccine mandates, provide insight on citizenship education as a way to get people to do the right thing – and a great read on the lasting effects of “long COVID.”

I’ve also added a wonderful story about the Canadian scientists who won the 1923 Nobel prize for the discovery of insulin – this week marked the 100th anniversary of the first person to receive insulin as a treatment for diabetes. The author of the story, Kersten Hall of the University of Leeds, writes that scientists of the day noted that insulin would only be effective if patients changed their lifestyle by exhibiting discipline and responsible behaviour. He notes that’s still true today.

“The truth is that, as much as we may wish for technological solutions to do all the heavy lifting, they can only be effective when they are accompanied by changes in our behaviour.”

Someone should tell that to Mr. Djokovic.

Have a great weekend. We’ll be back in your Inbox on Monday.