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Bad science Computers and social media Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

“Masks make you sicker”: The unkillable COVID-19 conspiracy theory

Masks work to slow the spread of COVID-19, but the “masks make you sicker” narrative, like antivax nonsense, has proven to be unkillable and to be a killer.

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Medicine Popular culture Science Skepticism/critical thinking

“COVID parties”: Almost certainly an urban legend

There have been stories of “COVID parties,” where young people intentionally try to catch COVID-19. They are almost certainly urban legends.

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Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Beijing proposes criminalizing “slander” or “libel” against TCM

China has long promoted the sale and use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Now the city of Beijing wants to criminalize criticism of TCM.

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Medicine

What Plandemic left out about Judy Mikovits’ wild conspiracy mongering

Last week, the “Plandemic” video went viral with conspiracy theories about COVID-19. What it left out were some of Judy Mikovits’ other conspiracy theories! Here’s a hint: They involve glyphosate, vaccines, and plutonium!

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Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture

Healight: A highly implausible treatment for COVID-19

Last week, President Trump proposed using internal light to treat COVID-19. Partisans defended him by pointing to Healight, an experimental device to do just that. It didn’t help.