Despite RFK Jr's claim of “radical transparency”, there was no media and no live streaming at yesterday's MAHA Summit…but there was no shortage of woo and quacks 🦆🦆 and swag bags featured creatine and beef tallow cooked chips.. www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/m...

Good example of scienceploitation - use language of real science to sell bunk. At-home gut microbiome tests? Hype. medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11... "Nearly half of the companies offering these tests also sell supplements or probiotics that they recommend based on the test results."

The key? #Move. Is It a Bad Idea to Exercise Before Bed? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/w... "Most importantly, don’t be discouraged from exercising if you can only do exercise in the evening." I get frustrated with the optimization advice. Best time to workout? When it works for you. 💪

Important to remember the power of foreign state actors in shaping vaccine hesitancy... Social media and vaccine hesitancy gh.bmj.com/content/5/10... "...a substantial relationship between foreign disinformation campaigns and declining vaccination coverage."

Protein: Ignore marketing hype. How much protein do you really need? www.nature.com/articles/d41... via @nature.com "...the protein craze has been driven mostly by aggressive marketing of high-protein foods and supplements..." "...most Americans already eat more than enough proteins."

Ottawa! Next week! 👇 This is a critical time. A knowledge crisis. How did we get here & what can we do? How to Escape the Fake: Making Good Policy in the Age of Misinformation : irpp.org/irpp-event/f... via @irpp.org @cmadocs.bsky.social Hope to see there!

Yet more science-free MAHA BS... 👇 What Kennedy’s saturated fat guidelines would mean for American health www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/i... via @statnews.com "...experts say data simply doesn’t support the idea that fat from animal sources is preferable to fat from plants."

"Stem cell" bunk is everywhere! Stem cells sound magical, but they’re not all created equal. Here’s what you need to know theconversation.com/stem-cells-s... "There is also a risk from unproven stem cell clinics, which offer treatments that lack evidence and can put patients at risk."

Access to vaccines is not a privilege — it is a human right. In @statnews.com today, Stefan Peterson and I write about using a human rights-based approach to deal with vaccine denialism and the return of measles, whooping cough and diphtheria www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/c...

Yep. Scholars Must Recognize the Role of Affect and Emotion in Disinformation www.techpolicy.press/scholars-mus... "The tactics of digital emotional manipulation are many and varied, but many of the most prominent exploit frustration and rage." We can't let rage win.

🚨Grifter Superband Alert!👇 Science-free. Wellness-woo. Exploitive. Criminal. Yep, very on-brand! MAHA Is Embracing Elizabeth Holmes. Here’s Why. politi.co/47UB70F via @politico

Pressure to publish is rising as research time shrinks, finds survey of scientists www.nature.com/articles/d41... "68% of respondents said the pressure to publish their research is greater than it was two to three years ago..." This fuels poor quality pubs! #ScienceMatters

The rise of sports betting is a growing public health crisis www.statnews.com/2025/11/11/s... via @statnews "Today 90% of bets are placed on phones, not at casinos or racetracks." "It is now impossible to watch a broadcast without being pushed to bet."

Sum: Nah. Gut #microbiome tests are everywhere. Should you get one? medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11... #GutHealth - Little evidence to support use - Often associated with sale of unproven supplements - And even if worked, probably wouldn't change approach (healthy diet, exercise, sleep)!

Leading the charge against health misinformation www.royalcollege.ca/en/news/lead... Such a special event. Thank you, @royalcollege.bsky.social! 🙏

This can't be said enough: MAGA media IS THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA! It has been for years. The right dominates online influencers, engagement, news coverage, etc. "Liberal MSM bias" a myth. Lies rule. reuters.com/investigatio...

Ridiculous. So maddening. Yes, complex. But there is NO doubt that antivaxx misinformation big part of problem. Canada loses measles elimination status after three decades, health agency says www.reuters.com/business/hea...

🚨Again, Tylenol ≠ > risk of autism, etc. "Existing evidence does NOT clearly link maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy with autism or ADHD in offspring." Study: Maternal paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and risk of autism www.bmj.com/content/391/...

Dark Age 2.0 "God is an anti-vaxxer, and he needs you to speak up." Inside the conference celebrating RFK Jr.’s rise wapo.st/49HVH6S Reality: "Dozens of studies have shown that vaccines do not cause autism..." #VaccinesWork

The power of political identity...👇 Older adults share more political misinformation. Here's why www.colorado.edu/today/2025/1... "...older people are more likely to believe as true and to share information that aligns with their party, whether that information is true or not."

The diff in tone of the responses to my manspreading post on X and Bluesky? So predictable. To be clear: ZERO anatomical justification for manspreading! Perhaps those who feel the need to manspread should request an accommodation from gov to help with this fragile condition?

A good example of how an arbitrary (conceptually incoherent) wedge issue can emerge from ether... "...the ostriches had become symbols of defiance — and the farm a destination for conspiracists, fringe media, and animal lovers." www.msnbc.com/news/news-an... by @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social

How a childhood virus can contribute to dementia later and what you can do wapo.st/4qQVFzK “Both versions of the vaccine — one with a version of the live virus and one without — reduce those reactivations and the risk of dementia, the study found.” #VaccinesWork

SEC football game yesterday! Fantastic experience! 🏈 Was a Manspreading Fest! And I got to sit next to the Manspreading Master! Lucky me.

Politics and lies. A long history. Tudor disinformation? Yep. wapo.st/47QBqcR "...a more than 400-year-old disinformation campaign surrounding the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth I and her successor to the throne." "...obvious resonance for us today, as we witness the spread of fake news..."

Longevity? Needed...👇 Equity. Justice. Access. Eduction. Wealth. Luck. "....greater wealth was associated with lower mortality, and the association between wealth and mortality appeared to be more pronounced in the United States than in Europe." www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Not long ago... Chemtrails were a comical marker of being totally off the rails. Tinfoils hats et al. Now? Example of the legitimization & embrace of hardcore bunk. States ban them & RFK Jr wants a "task force"? Dark Age 2.0 Chemtrails www.bmj.com/content/391/...

Another example "nocebo" effect (expectation of bad response) driving a diet trend? 👇 Who Is the Low-Histamine Diet Really For? www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... by @jonathanjarry.bsky.social The justifications for diet "hits a wall when people get tested in a blinded fashion."

Longevity influencer BS ≠ longevity. Socioeconomics. Equity. Justice. Education. Social Determinants of Health & Cancer Prevention Guideline Behaviors jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... "...demographic, socioeconomic, and geographical factors are associated with health behaviors..."

How long does covid booster protection last? wapo.st/3JwuBFj "The results reaffirm the benefit of staying current with covid vaccination." At 4 wks "reduced the chances of infection by about 45%..." "Strongest protection was against hospitalization and death" (57%).

Weightlifting outmuscles running for blood sugar control, study finds medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11... "...when it comes to preventing diabetes and obesity, pumping iron might have the edge..." #Move! #Lift! #TeamConfirmationBias!

NO "turbo cancer" associated with nRNA vaccines, but possible "turbo" benefits? mRNA covid vaccines may “turbo charge” cancer immunotherapy, research suggests bmj.com/content/391/... Patients with mRNA vaccine "... gained significant benefit in terms of survival & disease progression..."

📅 Happening soon! Join us Nov. 18 for the IRPP Fall Lecture with @caulfieldtim.bsky.social, one of North America’s leading voices on health and science misinformation. An evening of ideas, dialogue, and networking with Canada’s policy community. 🎟️ Register now: irpp.org?p=20841

Wellness influencers often use misinformer tactics to persuade. We’ve already discussed 4 tactics in a previous post, but here are 4 more 👇 scienceupfirst.com/misinformati... #ScienceUpFirst

The Blue Jay fan’s guide to dealing with feelings of despair theconversation.com/the-anguish-... "Fans, meantime, will use the off-season to emotionally steel themselves for, potentially, another wild ride. Spring, after all, is the season of hope when anything seems possible." #GoJays! ❤️

Shadow scholars: inside Kenya’s multibillion-dollar fake-essay industry www.nature.com/articles/d41... "...a hidden multibillion-dollar industry: contract cheating." "...students in the wealthy, industrialized countries of the global north outsource coursework to “shadow scholars'"

COVID "...increased the risk of heart inflammation, blood clots & bleeding disorders among children..." "...vaccinated had a lower risk of myocarditis than those who were unvaccinated..." COVID & heart issues in children: www.newscientist.com/article/2502... #VaccinesWork

The Global Spread of Contraceptive #Misinformation Online www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou... "...a flood of misinformation that favours 'natural' contraceptive methods..." "...only 10% of the analysed videos were created by qualified health professionals."

Health misinformation ain't new! Centuries of Black Death misinformation started with a poem www.popsci.com/health/black... "Centuries of Black Death misinformation started with a poem."

Science is under attack and it’s causing real harm to people, communities, and public trust. “Turbo cancer” is not a real thing and deaths from the COVID-19 vaccines are extremely rare and closely monitored. Read more here 👇 scienceupfirst.com/misinformati... #ScienceUpFirst

Sigh. Tom Brady reveals his dog is a clone of a family pet who died in 2023 wapo.st/3LpyDQk Brady: “a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog.” Nope. A clone ain't a copy. It is like he is TRYING to create reasons for me to stop being a fan. Still, #GoPats!

Strict school vaccine mandates work, and parents don’t game the system − new research theconversation.com/strict-schoo... "...policy-level solutions work. But they require comprehensive implementation and adequate enforcement mechanisms."

Nature walks are good for you, but can a city stroll be just as good? abcnews.go.com/Health/wireS... "Both [urban & nature walks] showed improved cognitive performance and attention and fewer negative emotions like anxiety, hostility & fatigue." I love a good city walk! ❤️ #Move #Walk

We can't let rage win! 💪 Research shows anger, not fear, shifts political beliefs source.washu.edu/2025/10/rese... "...the researchers found that anger — not fear — was the primary emotion tied to a shift toward conservative views."

5,000 steps a day could slow cognitive decline in people with signs of Alzheimer’s, study suggests www.statnews.com/2025/11/03/e... via @statnews.com #Move

How can we separate fact from fiction in today’s information chaos? Join us and @caulfieldtim.bsky.social for the IRPP Fall Lecture on Nov 18, an evening of insight, dialogue, and networking with Canada’s public policy community. 🎟️ Register now to be part of the conversation: irpp.org/?p=20841

"The U.S. is currently in the midst of a grand experiment: what happens if we give the cranks, the maniacs, the grifters, the late-night AM radio conspiracy theorist call-in people the reins of the country?" It ain't going well. Conspiracy Theory Nation www.vice.com/en/article/i...

"... significant improvements in students’ ability to identify the importance of scientific consensus, credible sources, trust in scientific methodologies, & peer review." "...improved students’ source evaluation & understanding of scientific consensus" www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Me: a clinic offering IV "therapy"? "A major red flag!" 🚩 No good evidence to support this nonsense. And poor regulatory oversight. Private IV clinics in regulatory grey zone, could pose health risks youtu.be/l6BH0o4uFXU?... via @laurenpelley.bsky.social

🚨 AI = more junk BS in knowledge base! 🚨 Letters to scientific journals surge as ‘prolific debutante’ authors likely use AI www.science.org/content/arti... via @science.org “The legitimate discussion risks being drowned by the synthetic noise.”