COVID-19
Health scares and disease outbreaks have been accompanied by misinformation narratives throughout history, and the outbreak of novel coronavirus in late 2019 is no exception. This research topic explores intersections between misinformation, science, fear, and public health.
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Teaching & Learning
Explore course modules, handouts, teaching tools and syllabi about dis- and misinformation.
Latest News on COVID-19
Brazil has been hit hard by Covid, and many people are looking for help. Dr Albert Dickson, an ophthalmologist in Brazil’s north-east region, offers prospective patients “free medical consultations” as well as prescribing “prophylactic measures” against the virus. The catch? You have to subscribe to his YouTube channel. “How are you going to be entitled […]
By Juliana Gragnani
When a filmmaker asked medical historian Naomi Rogers to appear in a new documentary, the Yale professor didn’t blink. She had done these “talking head” interviews many times before. She assumed her comments would end up in a straightforward documentary that addressed some of the most pressing concerns of the pandemic, such as the legacy […]
By Will Stone
The dangers of misinformation spreading on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic are known. However, software that allows individuals to generate automated content and share it via counterfeit accounts (or “bots”) to amplify misinformation has been overlooked, including how automated software can be used to disseminate original research while undermining scientific communication. We analyzed conversations […]
By John W. Ayers, Brian Chu, Zechariah Zhu, et al.
In the decade since Alexandra Elbakyan founded Sci-Hub, science’s so-called “pirate queen” has amassed more than 85 million full-text research articles, which she’s made available, for free, to anyone who can track down her custom search engine. Sci-Hub uses myriad techniques, including shared passwords and bugs on publisher websites, to rip copyrighted papers, and share […]
By Eleanor Cummins
The true extent of coronavirus vaccine misinformation is something that, like all misinformation, is difficult to gauge. Many Americans — particularly Republicans — are declining vaccination, but plenty of them are doing so because of a perceived lack of necessity. From there, various theories abound, including about what’s in the vaccines and potential side effects. But […]
By Aaron Blake
Brazil has been hit hard by Covid, and many people are looking for help. Dr Albert Dickson, an ophthalmologist in Brazil’s north-east region, offers prospective patients “free medical consultations” as well as prescribing “prophylactic measures” against the virus. The catch? You have to subscribe to his YouTube channel. “How are you going to be entitled […]
By Juliana GragnaniWhen a filmmaker asked medical historian Naomi Rogers to appear in a new documentary, the Yale professor didn’t blink. She had done these “talking head” interviews many times before. She assumed her comments would end up in a straightforward documentary that addressed some of the most pressing concerns of the pandemic, such as the legacy […]
By Will StoneThe dangers of misinformation spreading on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic are known. However, software that allows individuals to generate automated content and share it via counterfeit accounts (or “bots”) to amplify misinformation has been overlooked, including how automated software can be used to disseminate original research while undermining scientific communication. We analyzed conversations […]
By John W. Ayers, Brian Chu, Zechariah Zhu, et al.In the decade since Alexandra Elbakyan founded Sci-Hub, science’s so-called “pirate queen” has amassed more than 85 million full-text research articles, which she’s made available, for free, to anyone who can track down her custom search engine. Sci-Hub uses myriad techniques, including shared passwords and bugs on publisher websites, to rip copyrighted papers, and share […]
By Eleanor CumminsThe true extent of coronavirus vaccine misinformation is something that, like all misinformation, is difficult to gauge. Many Americans — particularly Republicans — are declining vaccination, but plenty of them are doing so because of a perceived lack of necessity. From there, various theories abound, including about what’s in the vaccines and potential side effects. But […]
By Aaron Blake