Since the start of the pandemic, the debate over Covid restrictions has grown increasingly acrimonious. As both sides have dug their heels in, one person that has tried to keep himself above the fray is Prof Francois Balloux, Director of the UCL Genetics Institute and Professor of Computational Systems Biology at University College London. He is typically grouped with the lockdown sceptics, but Prof Balloux has so far managed to retain the respect of both sides. Earlier this week, we caught up with Francois to discuss his thoughts on the pandemic, what kind of strategy he would like to see implemented, and why fear poses such a threat to society. Enjoy.