Category: Science and the Media

RFK Jr. on CNN

RFK Jr. and his “I’m not anti-vaccine” rejoinder to being confronted with his past antivax statements: A primer

On Friday, CNN host Kasie Hunt interviewed antivax presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Although she did better than most journalists confronting him for his past antivax statements in that she played a clip of one of his antivax statements, she clearly hadn't anticipated his response, which should have been very predictable given that he's been using it for at least 15...

/ December 18, 2023
John Maddox Prize

When a “gender critical” is a runner-up for the Maddox Prize for standing up for science…

Helen Joyce, a virulently anti-trans "gender critical" campaigner, was recently shortlisted for the Maddox Prize, which purports to recognize people who "who stand up for science and evidence, advancing public discussion around difficult topics despite challenges or hostility," even though she promotes an agenda that denies science and demonizes trans people. How could this have happened?

/ December 17, 2023
bullshit generation

Misinformation is pervasive, and AI will turbocharge it

Is it possible to refute an infinite amount of AI-generated health misinformation?

/ December 7, 2023
Trust science?

Trust in science and vaccines continues to decline. Why?

Recent evidence shows that public trust in science and vaccines has declined markedly since the pandemic. Why is this, and is there anything we can do about it?

/ November 27, 2023
RFK Jr Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. comes home to his antivax roots…again

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave the keynote speech at the second annual meeting of his antivax organization, Children's Health Defense. Once again, he demonstrated that not only is he still antivax as hell, but that his proposals are even more bizarre than before. Truly, it was a homecoming for him.

/ November 6, 2023
Ivermectin horse paste

Misinformation, Trust, and Non-Evidence-Based COVID-19 Treatments

Misinformation drove 1 in 20 Americans to use useless therapies like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 infections.

/ October 12, 2023

Quoth quacks, “The medical consensus has changed before, making my quackery science!”

Brave maverick doctors (i.e., quacks) have long tried to portray themselves as "innovators" challenging an ossified medical consensus for the good of patients. This tradition continues among COVID-19 quacks, in particular the Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance and its founders.

/ August 28, 2023

Examining COVID-19 misinformation propagated by US physicians

A new paper documents COVID-19 medical misinformation shared by US physicians on social media

/ August 17, 2023
Neko Health whole body scans

The return of marketing hype for “whole body scans”…now with AI!

Two decades ago, I cut my skeptical teeth countering advertising for whole body scans by companies making extravagant promises for their products. This particular medical fad faded for a while, but now it's back with a vengeance...with AI! Looking at these products, what I see is basically the quackery that is functional medicine on steroids and powered by AI.

/ July 10, 2023
Debate

RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan: Putting the old denialist technique of bad faith “Debate me, bro!” challenges on steroids

Joe Rogan conveyed a challenge by antivax crank turned Presidential candidate RFK Jr. to vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez to "debate me, bro!" In the week since, wealthy right wingers have added money to the inducement, and through an awful op-ed by Ross Douthat this weekend, even the New York Times has amped up the pressure for a "debate" about vaccines with...

/ June 26, 2023