The Sky Still Hangs Above Us

Abstract

Many will remember the salutary tale of "Chicken Little," the story of Henny-penny, the little hen who, when struck on the head by a falling acorn, assumed that the sky was falling. She made it her business to tell anyone who would listen of the impending disaster. Of course, as it turned out, the sky was not actually falling. Despite the best intentions of the story's protagonist, depending on the version one ascribes to, most of the characters involved became a meal for the fox, who it seems was more than happy to be the beneficiary of the confused pandemonium created by the well-intentioned actions of the hen. In some more soothing versions of the fable, the poultry escape the fox's culinary intentions, but the allegorical tale has a serious message. Spreading misinformation can have serious consequences, and the world is currently bearing witness to exactly this in the form of misinformation about the risks and benefits of vaccination.