Fearmongering + glorification of violence = > gun violence Social media perpetuates, worsens youth gun violence healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/02... From study: "Social media saturates youth with images of violence, information on using and obtaining guns, and a celebration of gun & gang culture."

Some people use cold snaps and big winter storms as ‘evidence’ that the world isn’t warming. But global warming – or, more broadly, climate change – is about more than hot weather. 🌨️ 👇 scienceupfirst.com/climate/glob... #ScienceUpFirst

Shout out to the sci comm fam! 🔥 Let us know who your favourite science accounts are!

Truth sandwich! 🥪 The Role of the Information Source in Debunking Health Myths Using the Truth Sandwich Format www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... "...findings contribute to the research on debunking health misinformation by demonstrating that the effectiveness of the truth sandwich format..."

How did I miss this? 👇 🌍 Earth Will Lose Gravity For 7 Seconds in 2026? www.iflscience.com/heard-the-ru... Caused by two "gravitational waves from black holes." Yikes! Best advice: “We beg people to use critical thinking skills” – physicists everywhere.

Intermittent Fasting: It’s Just a Diet, No Magic: conscienhealth.org/2026/02/18/i... via @conscienhealth.bsky.social "Once again, for weight management one size does not fit all." As often said: the best diet is one that is healthy, sustainable, and works for you!

Sigh. A couple things: - Cringe x 100 x ♾️ 😬 - RFK Jr & MAHA didn't invent exercise & healthy eating. On the contrary, GOP = roadblocks to #healthylifestyles. - Vaccines no, but TRT & steroids yes? Bizarre new RFK Jr video features shirtless secretary www.msn.com/en-us/music/...

Blood filtering? Sigh. Yet another ridiculous (potentially harmful) celebrity health trend! 🚩 The promise of a "detox" = red flag for bunk! 🚩 My take: www.ctvnews.ca/video/2026/0... via CTV

Wellness woo grifters – like Chopra & Attia – often market themselves as wise & above corruption. Nope. Price of Admission to Epstein’s World: Silence www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/w... "Deepak Chopra complained of a 'crazy' day, #Epstein replied, 'I’m in Florida, but would like to send two girls.'"

(The very obviously evil) RFK Jr / MAHA gang wreaking "havoc on the fragile business of vaccine development." Sales of life-saving vaccines decline. This will kill people (mostly children), have long-term consequences for research, strain healthcare systems, etc Nonsensical and, yep, simply evil.

Medical AI can repeat false claims in clinical contexts www.news-medical.net/news/2026020... "...when they appear in realistic hospital notes or social-media health discussions." From study: "LLMs still absorb harmful medical fabrications, especially when phrased in authoritative clinical prose."

The science influencers going viral on TikTok to fight #misinformation www.nature.com/articles/d41... “We can’t be shrinking away from this space because it’s not going away.” Agree. Love seeing more and more informed and creative voices in the mix! 🙏

Misinformation experts warn of dire consequences in online hunt for blame www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar... @heiditworek.bsky.social: the misidentifications of people can have tremendously "deleterious consequences for those innocent individuals..." Driven by “biases & prejudices.”

Can commercialization pressure in university biomedical research be problematic? See: healthydebate.ca/2026/02/topi... @healthlawadamh.bsky.social et al. "Reliance on private industry to bring products to market disadvantages products whose public health impact outweighs their commercial value."

Can the shingles vaccine slow ageing? economist.com/science-and-... “The new data, from a range of countries, suggests that it cuts risk by 20%.”

Study: time constraint on misinformation discernment Key themes: - Less time = less truth discernment - More political dogmatism = less truth discernment - More exposure to misinformation = less truth discernment So, our frenetic, misinformation-filled, & politically polarized info environment!

🚨 Study: Intermittent fasting NO better www.theguardian.com/science/2026... Cochrane conclusion: "Compared to regular dietary advice, intermittent fasting may result in little to no difference in weight loss or quality of life." "...no clinically meaningful changes in most of the outcomes."

As an oncologist, these are the foods I recommend to lower cancer risk www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202... Fruits and veggies. Whole grains. Avoid red & processed meats. Avoid surgery drinks. We've known this for decades! No magic. Ignore longevity hype. Basic #healthylifestyle is the key.

“I told you so” is never a good move. But as we slip further into an authoritarian Dark Age 2.0, I do wonder if all the past defenders (journalists, academics, clinicians) of wellness woo regret their role in helping to normalize the BS. Oops?

Reality: Longevity industry = Wellness BS 2.0. A First Class Ticket to Health and Longevity? conscienhealth.org/2026/02/14/a... @erictopol.bsky.social: “That whole gemish of things that are hawked and being promoted by influencers and longevity so-called experts or whatever, there’s just no data.”

Sharing conspiracy theories in dating profiles can damage first impressions phys.org/news/2026-02... From study: "Political orientation moderated these effects—liberals were more critical, while conservatives were more lenient and sometimes favored conspiracy-sharing profiles."

FDA rejects Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application - for reasons with no basis in the law theconversation.com/fda-rejects-... "From a legal perspective, the FDA’s decision could potentially meet what’s called the 'arbitrary and capricious' standard..." Conflicts with science, law & common sense.

Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study suggests www.theguardian.com/society/2026... Love this. Association study. Still, #TeamReading! Keep reading, writing and learning! 📚📖❤️

Paltrow pays big for "blood filtering"? She is the gift that keeps giving. The BUNK-O-RAMA gold standard. 🙏

Handsome at Any Cost www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/s... Looksmaxxers believe "...any step toward increasing his beauty to be virtuous." Like so many recent regressive trends, increasingly a far-right, regressive, exploitive, stigmatizing manosphere BS. "...an irresistible symbol of social decline."

This👇 The Gold Rush of Testosterone Replacement Therapy www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... by @jonathanjarry.bsky.social "TRT really the fountain of youth? Not quite." "...benefits of testosterone replacement therapy in older men are still debated..." "...likely to become infertile while on it."

Muscle strength "significantly lower mortality risk after controlling for sociodemographic," etc. "...even in women not meeting guideline-recommended activity levels." Muscular Strength & Mortality in Women: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... #Move 💪

🚨 How to Find Cancer Information You Can Trust www.cancer.org/cancer/lates... Great advice from @acscan.bsky.social! Ask these Qs: - Who is sharing info? - What evidence? - Human studies? - Suggests stopping standard treatment? - Markets fear or urgency? - Selling something?

MAHA MO: push BS therapies, antivaxx noise, science-free nutrition advice, stigmatizing takes on autism (etc), and yell at people about their weight & diet. So constructive! conscienhealth.org/2026/02/13/i... via @conscienhealth.bsky.social

Misinformation risk high amid Alberta separation debate: researcher youtu.be/tx119uzTWQQ?... Me: The algorithms push content based on fear, rage, and grievance. Is this impacting the AB separation debate?

The stunning conceptual inconsistency of RFK Jr & MAHA gang? REJECT an area of biomedicine associated with a mountain of good evidence, a Nobel, and the saving of millions of lives. But ACCEPT science-free BS claims about Tylenol, diet, unproven therapies, etc etc www.forbes.com/sites/joshua...

MAGA attack on free speech. Deeply ironic. Fully expected. “If We Don’t Have Free Speech, Then We Just Don’t Have a Free Country” www.newyorker.com/news/letter-... by @sbg1.bsky.social Not even during "the worst excesses of McCarthyism did any President attempt what Trump has this week."

One of the top Epstein emailers? Wellness grifter Deepak Chopra with 5,348. "Quantum" creepy?

Always a pleasure working with the amazing @caroloff.bsky.social ! Engaging Alberta teachers — an incredible and crucially important community — about the challenges of this post-truth world. 🙏🙏🙏

Obviously, but worth repeating... Can diet cure schizophrenia? RFK Jr. said yes, but experts say no medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02... "There is currently no credible evidence that ketogenic diets cure schizophrenia."

Echo chambers, the false consensus effect, & the embrace of conspiracy theories, etc etc... My take👇 Alberta separation conversation contains ‘familiar trends’ seen in health misinformation: Caulfield www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/alb... #ableg #cdnpoli #Yeg #Yyc #ForeverCanadian

WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’ www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/h... @helenbranswell.bsky.social via @statnews.com "...as far as WHO’s position is concerned, it’s unethical to proceed with this study."

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO! Vaccines causing 'turbo cancer'? How fake science is spreading online medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02... "The claim is FALSE and the term is not a medically recognized technical expression." #VaccinesWork

Really enjoyed doing this episode of Sick Society! 🙏 When Facts Lose: Health Misinformation, Identity, and the Algorithm (with Timothy Caulfield) open.spotify.com/episode/1p0v...

A common vaccine appears to have a surprising impact on brain health www.psypost.org/scientists-a... Flu vaccine "could serve as a practical and accessible strategy..." From study: influenza vaccination "a pragmatic, dementia risk–modifying intervention within healthy aging strategies..."

Americans overestimate how many social media users post harmful content: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... "...overestimating the proportion of social media users who post harmful content makes people feel more negative emotion..." Good news: Effects can be mitigated by correcting misperception. 👍

Prasad overruled FDA staff to reject Moderna’s flu vaccine application www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m... via @statnews.com "Vaccine skepticism is emanating into FDA from the top, as health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a known vaccine critic [read: antivaxx zealot]."

The longevity grift: sensible advice (long known & recommended) + lots of unproven BS (with a dash of manosphere arrogance). Attia’s Ties to Epstein Spark a Backlash From Doctors www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/w... cc @drjengunter.bsky.social

My take: What Canadians should worry about from new vaccine recommendations in the U.S. youtu.be/w97LZfbEru0?... Reality: - Studies show public has less confidence in vaccines (thanks, RFK Jr and your misinformation minions!) - But studies consistently show impressive safety profile! #VaccinesWork

Yet another bizarre and worrisome vaccine decision by RFK Jr's "health" gang... FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine www.statnews.com/2026/02/10/f... @matthewherper.bsky.social via @statnews.com

🚨 THIS is the impact of lies & doubtmongering. 🚨 Despite a GROWING body of evidence showing the safety of ALL these vaccines, more doubt safety. via @kffhealthnews.org @kff.org cc @cmadocs.bsky.social @scienceupfirst.bsky.social @drjengunter.bsky.social

Doctors warn against dangers of health misinformation from AI sources www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic... via @cmadocs.bsky.social cc @scienceupfirst.bsky.social “It’s alarming because a lot of that information is misinformation, disinformation, and false information."

Is "social" drinking good for health? It's complex. Drinking Is a ‘Social Lubricant.’ That’s Not Always a Good Thing. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h... Dr. Oz “made it seem that alcohol is the cure to social problems and loneliness. But it’s also predictive of more problematic behavioral problems.”

🚨 Canadians recognize that health misinformation does significant harm. 90% (!) believe the government has a responsibility address the issue! via @cmadocs.bsky.social cc @scienceupfirst.bsky.social

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! And yes. Science Communication Should Be a Core Competency in Medical Training www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/seco... by @drkatiesuleta.bsky.social @funsizeimmuninja.bsky.social