Professor of health law & science policy, speaker, TV host, and author.
"Study finds COVID vaccine mandates significantly reduce infection rates on college campuses" https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-covid-vaccine-mandates-significantly-infection.html
From study: "These data are consistent with COVID vaccines having achieved hoped-for effects in our community..."
#VaccinesWork #publichealth #Vaccines #science #education #scicomm
How folk remedies can fuel #misinformation https://theconversation.com/how-folk-remedies-can-fuel-misinformation-210993?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=bylinetwitterbutton
"...the idea that folk wisdom is predominantly benign might be why experts tend to pay less attention to it."
"...but they can hurt people."
Agree. Let's avoid legitimizing pseudoscience.
Our information ecosystem has become a massive false-balance machine.
Needed: more accurate representations of the scientific consensus.
My new piece: Is bothsidesism killing us? (And why scientific consensus matters) https://healthydebate.ca/2023/08/topic/bothsidesism-scientific-consensus-matters/ via
@healthydebate
#Scicomm #science #misinformation #criticalthinking #publichealth #climatechange #gmo #VaccinesWork
The “need for chaos” is linked to the sharing of conspiracy theories, study finds https://www.psypost.org/2023/08/the-need-for-chaos-is-linked-to-the-sharing-of-conspiracy-theories-study-finds-168465
"Individuals with a higher need for chaos were more likely to express willingness to share all six conspiracy theories..."
Accurately communicating scientific consensus key in fight against misinformation.
Covering scientific consensus: https://journalistsresource.org/media/scientific-consensus-news-tips/
"A weight-of-experts approach is better at helping people determine the validity of scientific claims..."
Deepfakes & scientific knowledge dissemination https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39944-3
"...27–50% of individuals cannot distinguish authentic videos from deepfakes."
"Science misinformation on topics ranging from climate change to vaccines have significant public policy repercussions."
Physicians play a critical role in the battle against bunk. Studies consistently show they remain one of the most trusted voices.
Truly an honour to speak at the #CMAHealthSummit about countering the spread of #misinformation. Energizing to hang with this wonderful community! 🙏
#Misinformation #SciComm #medicine #physicians #science #evidence
Trolls: Low self-esteem & feelings of inferiority.
"...people with low self-esteem might use trolling as a way to cope..."
"...online aggression might help individuals with high FOMO avoid... feelings of inferiority."
Thousands of scientists are cutting back on Twitter, seeding angst & uncertainty https://nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02554-0
Me: If experts leave, "are we just making room for a massive echo chamber that can spread misinformation in a way that is very harmful to society?"
"...it is an open secret in medicine that CPR is both brutal and rarely effective."
The Hidden Harms of CPR https://newyorker.com/news/the-weekend-essay/the-hidden-harms-of-cpr
Studies show pop culture representations of CPR create false expectations.
How Fake Science Sells Wellness https://nytimes.com/2023/07/26/well/live/wellness-products-false-claims.html?smid=tw-share
Me: 'scienceploitation' = "how brands borrow language from emerging areas of science to market unproven products."
And don't fall for "single study" syndrome. Body of evidence!
We are in the midst of a worldwide knowledge crisis...
We need to empower children with critical thinking skills, and we need to do it now.
My new piece: Teach kids about misinformation https://macleans.ca/society/misinformation-pandemic-conspiracy-beliefs/ (https://t.co/7njjSK7HoI)
Stuff #RFKJr is very obviously wrong about (#Rogan edition):
- Vaccines & autism https://cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html
- WiFi & cancer https://cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/electromagnetic-fields-fact-sheet#:~:text=No%20consistent%20evidence%20for%20an,and%20cancer%20has%20been%20found.
- Causes of 1918 Flu https://cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html#:~:text=The%201918%20influenza%20pandemic%20was,spread%20worldwide%20during%201918%2D1919
- Ivermectin https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2797483?resultClick=1
- Etc etc etc etc
Sum: a #misinformation machine.
#VaccinesWork #publichealth #vaccines #JoeRogan #science #scicomm
Our new study: The influence of sociodemographic factors on COVID-19 vaccine certificate acceptance https://tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2023.2220628
Lowest acceptance:
- visible minority
- rural
- politically conservative
- 18-34 yrs of age
- trade or apprenticeship education
Infuriating.
"Advertisements exploited the hope of patients with terminal and poor prognoses by sharing testimonials of past patients..."
More regulation & regulatory action needed.
Our new study: Advertising Alternative Cancer Treatments and Approaches on Social Media https://infodemiology.jmir.org/2023/1/e43548
#alternativemedicine #Cancer #scicomm #misinformation #patients #pseudoscience
Misinformation + ideology = tough combo!
"A strong partisan bias emerged for both veracity judgments and sharing decisions..."
"...sharing decisions were largely unaffected by actual information veracity."
"...partisan bias was a stronger & more reliable predictor of #misinformation susceptibility than truth sensitivity."
#ScienceUpFirst #SciComm #Science #polarization #publichealth #ideology
Excellent.
How Science Gets Drawn Into Global Conspiracy Narratives https://issues.org/science-mrna-conspiracy-theories-twitter-tuters-willaert-meyer/?utm_source=Issues.org&utm_campaign=d32471d8f2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_04_12_02_16_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_741884f373-d32471d8f2-438871929
"...unchecked spread of these conspiratorial narratives could severely undermine the networks of trust on which society is built."
"Conspiracy narrative convergence" = 1 conspiracy becomes many.
Often referenced "masks do harm" study retracted.
See: https://frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1221666/full
Editors: "...complaints were valid ... the article does not meet the standards of editorial & scientific soundness..."
Will likely live on as a zombie & the retraction will become part of a conspiracy narrative.
#publichealth #masks #scicomm #vaccineswork #science #retraction
My new piece...
#Misinformation has done and is continuing to do serious harm. It is killing us.
Many studies and academic reports, including a 2023 analysis by the Council of Canadian Academies (which I co-authored), have concluded that health misinformation also has profound and adverse social, psychological and economic impacts. In general, both the public and health-care professionals agree.
https://healthydebate.ca/2023/04/topic/misinformation-yep-still-a-problem/ #publichealth #vaccines #vaccineswork #science #scicomm
"The problematic reframing of public health measures on social media, in the popular press and by politicians contributes to real harm and has set a dangerous precedent."
"Lockdown revisionism has tended to frame public health measures as a form of subjugation by elites, while positioning public health as oppressive and fundamentally anti-individualistic."
Our new paper: COVID-19 #lockdown revisionism https://cmaj.ca/content/195/15/E552 #COVID #PublicHealth #science #ScienceUpFirst