In Zimbabwe, an Almost-Deadly Collision Between Fake News and a Real Virus
In early 2023 Zimbabwe detected circulating vaccine‑derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Harare, prompting a national emergency and the import of 10.5 million doses of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). A parallel wave of WhatsApp misinformation—claiming the vaccine causes infertility and even polio—sparked hesitancy among parents. Health authorities responded with community‑engagement tactics, a Real‑Time Refusals Tracker, and rumor‑management campaigns. By March 2024 the effort vaccinated over 4.7 million children, exceeding the 4 million target by 13 percent.
Viewpoint — ‘Completely Unethical’: RFK, Jr.’s Medical Ignorance Deprives Melanoma Cancer-Sufferers of a Life-Saving Therapy
Replimune’s RP1, a promising therapy for metastatic melanoma, received an initial FDA advisory panel recommendation for approval, but the agency’s biologics chief Vinay Prasad overruled the decision and halted the drug’s launch. At a House hearing, Health and Human Services...
Viewpoint: Truce Between MAHA and Mainstream Science? Its Embrace of ‘Quackery’ and Pseudoscience Makes that Impossible
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, spearheaded by antivax activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., mixes anti‑vaccine rhetoric with supplement hype and cancer quackery while cloaking itself in diet and lifestyle advice. A recent STAT News piece featured op‑eds from...
Viewpoint — Politicization of Public Health: What’s the Impact of the White House Strategy on Children
The article warns that the politicization of public health under the Trump administration, amplified by anti‑vaccine rhetoric from figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is eroding the measles eradication achieved in 2000. Federal vaccine mandates are being rolled back, and...
Viewpoint — Digital Freedom: How AI Could Undermine Chinese Communism
The article argues that advanced, uncensored large‑language models (LLMs) could erode the Chinese Communist Party’s information monopoly. By moving dialogue into private, AI‑driven conversations, the traditional Great Firewall’s choke points become ineffective. The piece highlights how AI systems, built on...
Fish Oil Supplements for Brain Injuries Probably Don’t Work
A pioneering study from the Medical University of South Carolina, published in Cell Reports, suggests that fish oil supplements—specifically the omega‑3 fatty acid EPA—may hinder recovery after repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries. Using a novel animal model that replicates concussion‑like...
Congressional Republicans Pushing False Claims that Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills Are Unsafe
Congressional Republicans are circulating misleading claims that over‑the‑counter birth‑control pills are unsafe, despite no such products existing. A new JAMA Internal Medicine study highlighted the gap between policy rhetoric and reality, noting that medication‑abortion kits are not currently available OTC....
Reality Check: Why We Can’t Trust Anything Online — and No One Knows How to Fix It
The article warns that online trust is eroding as AI‑generated content floods the web. Automated bots now account for roughly 51% of internet activity, spreading low‑quality, viral material faster than human users. New AI models have eliminated classic manipulation clues,...
Viewpoint — AI Doomsday Projections: Will Social Media Save Us or Make the Panic Worse?
A surge of viral AI‑doom content is spreading across social platforms, aiming to heighten public concern and pressure policymakers. While most AI researchers dismiss the existential threat as unsupported, safety advocates argue rapid advances demand urgent action. The heated rhetoric...
Despite Disease Surges, Poll Shows Kennedy-Driven Disinformation Has Left Most Americans Skeptical of Vaccines
A Politico‑commissioned poll of 3,851 U.S. adults found a plurality now question vaccine safety, favor fewer shots, and prioritize personal choice over disease control. The data reveal a stark partisan split: roughly 60% of Republicans support reducing vaccines compared with...
Anti-Biotechnology Activists Smear Hybrid Wheat Breakthrough that Could Surge Yields in Poorer Countries
Hybrid wheat breakthroughs from Corteva and Syngenta aim to unlock the long‑standing yield gap in self‑pollinating cereals. Leveraging the 2018 wheat genome map, Corteva claims a proprietary system that separates male and female flower functions, while Syngenta has introduced Hard...
Woo Truce? The Science and Health Establishment Divided on How to Deal with MAHA and RFK, Jr.
The Trump administration unveiled new meat‑ and milk‑focused dietary guidelines at an event featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) coalition. AMA President Bobby Mukkamala attended, highlighting the medical community’s split over the administration’s push...
Europe Is on the Cusp of Approving Gene Editing of Crops. Many Other Countries May Follow Soon.
European Parliament is set to vote in spring 2024 on allowing gene‑edited crops in the EU, ending three decades of stringent opposition to crop biotechnology. Industry leaders, such as Cibus CEO Peter Beetham, say regulators now view the technology’s risks...
6 Ways to Address Digital Misinformation
The article outlines six strategic actions to combat digital misinformation, ranging from AI‑driven authentication tools to crisis‑response protocols within organizations. It emphasizes evidence‑based decision making, cross‑border cooperation, and stronger regulatory frameworks. The piece also highlights the role of digital literacy,...
Public Health Advocates Turn to Influencers to Fight Online Misinformation
Public health experts are teaming with social‑media influencers to curb health misinformation online. Harvard’s Creator Program, launched three years ago, equips TikTok and Instagram creators with evidence‑based toolkits and virtual training, reaching audiences of millions. Early studies show modest but...
Swim Club: Expensive Male Fertility Supplements Are All the Rage
SwimClub, a startup co‑founded by Osman Khan, is selling a $300, 90‑day male fertility supplement developed with Stanford urologist Michael Eisenberg. Khan’s personal IVF success story inspired the product, which the company markets to both men and women. Venture capital...
Viewpoint: CRISPR and mRNA — Under Attack by Technology Skeptics — Poised to Save Millions of Children with Rare Diseases
Rare genetic diseases affect roughly 25 million Americans and generate about $400 billion in annual medical costs, yet fewer than five percent have FDA‑approved therapies. The scarcity of treatments stems from the economics of drug development for tiny patient pools. Recent breakthroughs...
GLP Podcast: Miracle Drug? Tech Bros Inflate Depression-Fighting Effects of Psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT
In this episode of the Facts and Fallacies podcast, hosts Cameron English and Dr. Liza Lockwood dissect a recent JAMA Psychiatry trial of the synthetic psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT (GH001) for treatment‑resistant depression. They explain the drug’s biochemical roots, its historical link...
Debunking 5 Myths About Renewable Energy
The article dismantles five common renewable‑energy myths, citing recent data on cost, reliability, wildlife impact, electric‑vehicle range, and investment trends. It notes solar panel prices have dropped from $35 per watt in 1980 to just $0.26 per watt in 2024,...
Health Misinformation Is Exploding Online — and Government and Health Groups Shoulder some of the Blame
A JAMA Network Open study examined advertising revenue on 11 websites flagged for health misinformation from 2021 to 2024. The sites earned more than $336 million, with roughly 10 % of that money coming from health‑related advertisers such as the CDC, Pfizer,...
Trump Claims Windmills Kill Birds. Here Are the Facts.
President Trump asserted that wind turbines are a major cause of bird deaths. Fact‑checking shows turbines do kill birds and bats, but mortality rates are modest compared with buildings, vehicles, and cats. A 2023 peer‑reviewed study found no statistically significant...
Shilajit Ayurvedic Sex Drive-Boosting Myth: Tar-Like Ooze Extracted From Himalayan Rocks Doesn’t Work
Shilajit, a tar‑like resin harvested from Himalayan rock, is being promoted online as a natural testosterone booster. The only human data consist of two small, manufacturer‑funded trials involving 28‑38 men that reported modest increases in total and free testosterone after...
Will the MAHA Movement Save the GOP This Fall — or Help Bury It? This Man May Be Key
Tony Lyons, chief strategist of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, has urged Republican leaders to adopt popular health‑focused policies—such as banning soda from SNAP benefits and eliminating artificial food dyes—to win the 2026 midterm elections. In a February...
Viewpoint — Influential Sports Scientists: ‘No Evidence that Organic Food Is Healthier’
Sports scientist Dr. Mike Israetel told The Rubin Report that organic produce offers no consistent nutritional advantage over conventional foods and that pesticide residues in U.S. diets are far below harmful levels. He linked the preference for organic to the...
Viewpoint: Challenging Anti-Fracking ‘Scare Tactics’ and Disinformation
A recent opinion piece in the Canton Repository accuses Ohio environmental groups of using misinformation to fuel anti‑fracking sentiment. The author argues that the industry operates under stringent state, federal and EPA regulations, with wells drilled thousands of feet below...
Trump Demands Access to Africa’s Rare Minerals as Price to Fund Efforts to Battle AIDs
The Trump administration’s new "America First Global Health Strategy" ties U.S. HIV aid to access for Africa’s rare minerals. Under the revised PEPFAR model, countries must sign memoranda of understanding granting U.S. firms mineral rights in exchange for funding. Zimbabwe...
Red-Light Therapy: Breakthrough or Junk Science?
Red‑light therapy is attracting both scientific interest and commercial hype. Recent clinical studies have documented measurable improvements in peripheral neuropathy, retinal degeneration, and certain neurological disorders, leading some professional societies to endorse specific treatment protocols. At the same time, researchers...
STOMP—Scientists Skeptical of RFK, Jr.’s Dubious Crusade on Microplastics
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the EPA announced a $144 million Systematic Targeting of Microplastics (STOMP) initiative, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and EPA head Lee Zeldin. The program will develop standardized detection methods, map microplastic presence...
Google and Search Engines Opened the Door to Online Misinformation. AI Could Help Address That.
Google’s search engine architecture unintentionally amplified online misinformation by prioritizing engagement‑driven content. The piece argues that while generative AI is feared to worsen the problem, it also offers tools to elevate credentialed experts and improve factual consensus. By automating fact‑checking...
AI with Human Feelings? Anthropic’s Claude Edges Closer
Anthropic’s new study reveals that Claude Sonnet 4.5 contains distinct clusters of artificial neurons that encode human‑like emotions such as happiness, sadness, joy, and fear. These "functional emotions" activate in response to specific cues and noticeably steer the model’s responses...
Why the Herbicide Glyphosate Is Key to Sustainable Agriculture
Glyphosate is presented as essential for sustainable agriculture, enabling no‑till practices, cover‑crop termination, and reduced emissions. The article argues the herbicide’s low toxicity, rapid environmental breakdown, and off‑patent affordability make it a safe, cost‑effective tool for farmers. It also claims...
Hypnagogic State: The Twilight Zone Between Sleep and Wakefulness Is a Creative Sweet Spot. Here’s How You Can Make It...
The hypnagogic state—a semi‑conscious twilight between sleep and wakefulness—has long fueled creative breakthroughs, from Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday” melody to Niels Bohr’s atomic model. Recent research shows participants in this state are three times more likely to uncover hidden problem‑solving rules, linking the...
‘Tech Bro Hype’ Vs. Serious Science: The Inside Story on Colossal’s Attempt to Create a Real-Life Jurassic Park
Colossal Biosciences announced that it has produced three gene‑edited pups it calls dire wolves, marking its first high‑profile claim of de‑extinction. The Dallas‑based firm says a woolly mammoth will follow within two years, with a dodo later on, using ancient...
Social Media Sharing: Americans Are Caught in a Health and Science ‘Misinformation Paradox’
A Harris Poll commissioned by Bayer reveals a “misinformation paradox”: 80% of Americans blame social media for false health and science information, yet the same platforms are their primary source for such news. The survey shows 75% of respondents share...
Viewpoint — ‘Miracle’ Peptides: Regulatory Greyzone and RFK, Jr. Propaganda Opens the U.S. to a Perilous Biohacking Experiment
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Joe Rogan’s podcast that the FDA plans to move roughly 14 experimental peptide compounds from a restricted status to availability through compounding pharmacies. While over 100 peptide drugs are FDA‑approved, the compounds marketed by...
With the Strait of Hormuz Mostly Shut-Down, the Last Oil Shipments of Oil Going to Europe and Asia Will Land...
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has halted oil and LNG shipments, with the last tankers for Europe and Asia expected to dock by mid‑April. Once those supplies run out, regional fuel reserves will shrink sharply, prompting analysts to...
AI Can Now Generate Academic Papers that Pass Peer Review. What Are the Risks?
Tokyo start‑up Sakana.ai unveiled “The AI scientist,” an autonomous system that drafts machine‑learning papers for as little as $15 each. In a recent trial, three AI‑generated manuscripts were submitted to a top‑tier conference workshop; two were rejected while one met...
PTSD Is Almost Incurable. Psychedelics Can Help — but only in Three U.S. States and Australia
Australia has opened a regulated pathway for MDMA‑assisted psychotherapy to treat post‑traumatic stress disorder, making it one of the few countries where the drug can be used medically. Early data from Dr. Ranil Gunewardene’s practice show more than 50 % of...
Viewpoint: How AI-Enabled Corruption of the Information Environment Might Lead to an Increased Risk of Nuclear Escalation
The article warns that AI‑generated disinformation is reshaping the global information ecosystem and creating new pathways to nuclear escalation. Tailored, scalable synthetic content can infiltrate crisis briefings, command and control assessments, and political narratives, potentially prompting high‑stakes decisions based on...
Many Nail Polishes Contain Dangerous Chemicals
A new EU and Norwegian regulation bans the photoinitiator trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) in nail‑polish products sold to professional salons. Health officials warn that TPO can increase cancer risk, damage DNA and impair fertility. The rule targets businesses, not retail...
Aspirin for Your Heart? Decongestants? Here Are 5 Popular Medications that You Should Avoid
The Washington Post article highlights five everyday medications that recent research suggests should be reconsidered or discarded. Low‑dose aspirin no longer offers net benefit for primary heart‑disease prevention due to bleeding risks. Phenylephrine, a common decongestant, performs no better than...
As China’s Science Investment Soars, U.S. Cuts Spending Dramatically
China announced a major boost to its science and technology spending, pledging at least a 7% annual increase in R&D outlays over the next five years. The central government’s science budget will reach 426 billion yuan ($61.6 billion) this year, a 10%...