The EU came under fire as well, but European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has already indicated clearly that the EU has strategies in place to counter US tariffs, saying: “If it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.” 

Retaliation may not be straightforward, and we may need to be mindful that other EU countries’ aims may not coincide with our own. 

Our sensitivity about the pharma sector and US multinationals here may not be matched by other European nations seeking to punish American business, while the noises from Italy are worrying for a different reason.

Its right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is close to Mr Trump, and she and her colleagues have been far less blunt than Ms von der Leyen. 

One of Ms Meloni’s ministers has said there is a need for dialogue with the US, which may be precisely what Mr Trump wants.

Last month, The Atlantic reported on the theory circulating in Washington DC and on Wall St called the ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’, which sketches the Trump master plan behind the tariffs. 

According to this theory, Mr Trump’s motivation is to foment chaos and turmoil in order to drive countries to negotiate with the US — from a position of weakness and uncertainty, of course.

As an explanation of the Trump strategy, it is as plausible as anything else — but the initial chaos and turmoil will need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. That is the immediate challenge. 

As the Taoiseach said yesterday, the only certainty now appears to be uncertainty as we confront this latest instalment in the Trump pantomime.

The value of proper research

A significant new scientific initiative was launched yesterday by University College Cork (UCC), one seeking the help of the general public.

In order to create a fuller picture of Ireland’s fossil record, the Great Irish Fossil Hunt campaign is asking members of the public who find fossils to take pictures of them and to send those on to their research team.

Those images will then be catalogued and used to build a comprehensive fossil map of Ireland which will in turn be launched at a major exhibition due to take place at UCC later this year.

This is a laudable initiative on several different levels. 

It should create a greater awareness among the general public of the physical environment, for instance. 

This is particularly beneficial at a time when there is so much bad news about the effects of climate change; enlisting people to take note of the positive elements of their surroundings is a good move.

It should also encourage people to view their home areas in a broader historical context — we are far more familiar with local history and heritage than we are with the impact of ‘deep time’ on our countryside. 

Encouraging people to hunt for fossils should therefore boost our awareness of geological features and processes.

It would also be positive if this project were embraced by schools all over Ireland, not just for the specific value of the work involved but because of the subtle message the project conveys.

Bad-faith actors, ruthless social media companies, religious fundamentalists, opportunistic politicians, as well as snake-oil salesmen, influencers and grifters of all kinds have operated separately and together to undercut the credibility of scientific methods and research.

It can be hard to believe some of the claims made online based on people doing their ‘own research’, and even harder sometimes to believe anyone gives them credence, but such is the modern world.

A project such as this, which shows the public the value of real research, offers the best rebuttal.

Salute to Iceman

The passing of actor Val Kilmer was announced on Wednesday day by his daughter Mercedes, who stated pneumonia as the cause of death. 

He was 65.

Kilmer had a lengthy and varied career, though it could be argued that he peaked early with his best-known role. 

He played Batman and gave a convincing performance as Jim Morrison, lead singer with The Doors, singing the songs himself. 

His performance as a bank robber in Heat was so distinctive that it was said American army units taught machine-gun technique based on Kilmer’s reloading skill — an enjoyable, if implausible, claim.

Most people, however, will immediately associate him with one of his first roles in the original Top Gun movie, released in 1986. 

Kilmer played Iceman, the main competition for Tom Cruise’s Maverick as they each battle to become the top pilot in their unit before reconciling at the end of the film.

Some 36 years later, the two were reunited in a poignant scene in the sequel, with Kilmer clearly showing the effects of a bout of throat cancer he survived several years before.

The two shared an emotional farewell which has added resonance with this week’s news.

By his own admission not always easy to work with, Kilmer’s career did not reach the heights of some of his contemporaries. 

For many readers, the image of a cocky fighter pilot with a towering quiff and aviator shades will be a cherished memory of a very talented actor.