I'm never quite sure how much of the nice stuff people say about my book, Bad Influence, I should share. But these are the first two reviews in and they're from people I really admire. So I thought I'd indulge myself a bit...

I am thrilled to share that Bad Influence has been selected by @waterstones.bsky.social for an exclusive pre-order promotion  Get 25% off when you order this week using code OCTOBER25. waterstones.com/book/bad-influ…#WPreorderer (Apols for music...couldn't resist)

In the words of one prof of evidence synthesis: "This is going to be great - exposing the snake oil pushers of the modern age. With modern technology and a global market at their fingertips, they have never been more dangerous to our health."

You can tell I'm not in sales and marketing...my mate just DM'd me "where's the preorder link you, nobhead?" So here is it: amzn.eu/d/hRYd9fI

New book klaxon: I finally piss EVERYONE off! What happens when you put health on platforms geared for shopping, PR & entertainment? What's medicine and what's marketing? And what impact is it having on health? (In public health lingo -it's commercial meets digital determinants of health)

Chris Whitty bringing a huge amount of scepticism and sense to 'misinformation' debate. He's not focusing on individuals but the behaviour of the likes tobacco, fossil fuel and drug companies @lshtm.bsky.social

This is excellent and highly worth reading as many of the points highlighted are relevant to other similarly well intentioned appearing schemes. I almost signed up but was put off by exactly these concerns, however the article raises many I hadn’t thought of. @mgtmccartney.bsky.social

Interesting debate around 'Our Future Health' Read more 👇 "scale & ambition praiseworthy, esp for enrolling people from ethnic minority & low income backgrounds" BUT consent, transparency & commercial interest concerns @kathcheckland.bsky.social @publichealthuom.bsky.social @ewenspeed.bsky.social

Good to see @mgtmccartney.bsky.social & @debscohen.bsky.social back out on tour

The UK’s flagship health research programme promises breakthroughs, but beneath an NHS branded facade, critics are asking who really benefits from this vast database, heavily backed by industry and government. @mgtmccartney.bsky.social and I investigate www.bmj.com/content/390/...

Women are disproportionally targeted with medical misinformation, and put at unique risk by it. Tonight @debscohen.bsky.social and myself will discuss some of the reasons why and how to counter it. Still tickets available if you'd like to join us online.. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/countering...

Anyone know where Anfield is?!

Self promo klaxon....Delighted to be signed up to the Specialist Speakers Bureau...want to know more about communicating complexity, controversy and evidence. Hit me up! specialistspeakers.com/?p=16769

Podcasters, YouTubers, influencers…these are not journalists. Some can be! But they’re in the tiny minority. We’ve sleepwalked into, well some have welcomed it, a far shittier world of spon con, financial conflicts and uncritical fluffing. The tragedy is ppl don’t even realise what they’ve lost.

My and @mgtmccartney.bsky.social critical look at Zoe for both Unherd and The BMJ has sure had legs.... Great to see our work being cited in today's Economist economist.com/britain/2025...

Great talking to academics at LSE about how researchers can work with journalists to hold health systems, companies, policy makers etc to account. Research + investigative journalism can drive change in policy & practice. But how you do it in a rapidly changing media landscape?

Gender dysphoria and the background to a puberty blocker drug trial for children. And what is equipoise anyway ?? Detailed and v helpful explainer by @debscohen.bsky.social

from me and @debscohen.bsky.social on early diagnosis unherd.com/2025/01/the-...

Had a few DMs from people sharing experiences of false positives with unnecessary & anxiety inducing clinical cascade. Asymptomatic people having ECGs leading to A&E attendances; nervous weeks off work to explore incidentalomas. But we tend to hear the stories about how this test saved my life

Excellent journalism as always; also always brings to mind the scene from Scrubs youtu.be/R9hEa8LKG4c?...

Thinking about health screening? Read this first

Spotify's Daniel Ek's latest tech is Neko Health. Its full body scans a "health check for your future self". Tech enthusiasts are applying mechanistic thinking to complexities of the body. But it's not so simple. @mgtmccartney.bsky.social and and me for @unherd.com unherd.com/2025/01/the-...

Clear laying out of the issues around gaining reliable evidence on the effect of puberty blockers by @deb_cohen

My first for the BBC for a while. I look at key methodological & ethical considerations about NHS puberty blocker trial for children w gender dysphoria. Is there equipoise? Will a placebo arm be feasible? It’s one of the most challenging clinical issues imaginable www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A new piece about the attempt to run a serious research trial on puberty blocking drugs for gender dysphoria in young people by @debscohen.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If there’s one man to whom nobody should listen at all about tech and NHS reform, it’s Aloytius Parsadoust. www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

My first post on this site clearly had to the Kop singing You’ll Never Walk Alone after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid. Apols to those looking for something more cerebral…