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Computers and social media Medicine Politics Popular culture

Attacks on scientists in the age of COVID-19: How “they” view “us”

Nature recently published a survey showing how common online and other attacks on scientists trying to communicate science-based information are. The hatred is nothing new. What’s new are COVID-19 and social media.

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

How “they” view “us”: Colton Berrett edition

Colton Berrett developed transverse myelitis at age 13 and as a result was left permanently disabled, with significant paralsysis. Four years later, he died, apparently by suicide. Polly Tommy and the VAXXED crew have been promoting the message that it was Gardasil that caused Colton’s disease and therefore killed him. When I explained why Gardasil almost certainly had nothing to do with Colton’s disease and death, I learned once again how “they” view “us.”

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

“The midwit effect”? Antivaxxers are irritated by a study on intelligence and vaccines

A study was published linking vaccine acceptance to intelligence. Whatever the validity of the study, it irritated an antivaxxer, who called it the “midwit” effect.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

Former Director of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute: Still Antivax?

Dr. Daniel Neides, former director of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute fired for antivax writings, now inspires a new generation of antivaxxers.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bioethics Computers and social media Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

“Subscription science” and real conflicts of interest

Antivaccine activists and quacks often weaponize legitimate concerns about industry conflicts of interest in medicine into the “shill gambit,” in which they accuse critics and defenders of science-based medicine of being in the pay of big pharma. However, the rise of physician-influencers and, in particular, Subscription Substack show that not all conflicts of interest are from industry or even financial.