Hantavirus outbreak reignites COVID misinformation tropes
The MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak triggered a wave of conspiracy theories and misinformation about ivermectin and vaccines, which were popular during the pandemic.
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Insights
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Omega-3 supplements: not a silver bullet for depression
Health influencers suggest omega-3 supplementation can treat depression or even replace antidepressant medication. But such claims put vulnerable people at risk. In truth, the scientific evidence behind the effectiveness of omega-3 supplementation for depression is more uncertain than these social media posts let on. We explain in this Insight article.
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You are what you eat: how dietary misinfo appeals to our emotions
Harmful nutrition misinformation circulates widely online. From the raw food movement to the carnivore diet, we look at how these trends exploit various psychological levers to gain popularity in spite of the lack of scientific evidence to support them.
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Some wind turbine blades are made from balsa wood, but they’re not a major part of Amazon deforestation, contrary to online claims
Learn what materials actually go into wind turbine blades
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likes regenerative agriculture, but what is it?
The term has no fixed definition. Its methods do often make farming more sustainable, but its claims are hard to verify.
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Scientific evidence doesn’t back the hype over colostrum supplements
Influencers tout the benefits of colostrum supplements for immunity and gut health. But the claims don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny.
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Busting popular misinformation about Alzheimer’s disease
Do cholesterol-lowering drugs or stress cause Alzheimer’s? Can coconut oil and mushrooms prevent it? Approach these claims with caution.
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Can HPV infection be treated? Here are the facts
The Internet is awash with products claiming to treat HPV infection. But evidence for these claims is scarce.
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If CO2 is 0.04% of Earth’s atmosphere, how does it cause climate change?
Common air pollutants – such as sulfur dioxide, or ozone – reach unsafe levels for humans at just a few micrograms (millionths of a gram) per cubic meter, or just a few parts per billion, far less than the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere. Thanks to how the greenhouse effect works, a little CO2 can cause a lot of heating.
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Are grid battery storage systems fire-prone? Early data suggests their fires are rare
Grid batteries can catch fire, but these fires are becoming less common as more grid batteries are built.