conspiracy theories

 

In recent months, the mainstream press has been on a crusade against COVID vaccine skepticism, tenaciously promoting science-based medicine and expressing little tolerance for anybody who holds a contrarian opinion.

There are two pandemics currently afflicting us. COVID-19, of course, and the "infodemic" – otherwise known as a tsunami of information and misinformation.

We were pro-GMO before the term "GMO" was even invented. That's because the acronym "GMO" is not used by scientists, but is instead a colloquialism employed by the media, activists, and the general public.

It is difficult to overstate the potential damage that a rushed coronavirus vaccine could inflict on confidence in the biomedical community.

While much remains unknown about SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, we do know this: Like others before it, the new virus evolved naturally, perhaps in bats, before "jumping" into humans.

Conspiracy theories are a funny thing.

We are not fans of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). ACSH was founded in part to debunk baseless fearmongering, and the folks at CSPI are professionals at promoting junk science.

Everyone I know likes to think of himself or herself as pro-science and open-minded. I don't think I've ever heard anyone proudly claim to be anti-science and closed-minded.

A few weeks ago, we received an email from Dutch journalist Jannes van Roermund, who works for the newspaper De Telegraaf.