What is the wildest health propaganda out there today? You can bet we asked the master debunker of health misinformation himself, Professor Timothy Caulfield, when he joined us “Inside Our Boardroom”.

Called the nemesis of pseudoscience by the Globe and Mail, Timothy held the role of Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy for 20 years, where he dedicated himself to debunking myths and assumptions about innovation in the health sector — from research on stem cells to diets and alternative medicine. He is also the co-founder of ScienceUpFirst, a science engagement initiative to counter misinformation online.

With the World Economic Forum ranking misinformation and disinformation as the number one global risk over the next two years, Timothy sat down with us to explore its power over us — why humans are primed to fall for it — and, most importantly, how we can arm ourselves against it. Plus, we had some fun talking about his health fad pet peeve and what’s next for this three-time bestselling author and host of Netflix’s docu-series, A User’s Guide to Cheating Death.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Feeding on Fear: The Spread of Misinformation

Speakers Spotlight: What are the roots of pseudoscience and what makes humans susceptible to its allure?

Timothy Caulfield: Pseudoscience, misinformation, conspiracy theories, they’ve been around forever — as long as humans have communicated. But there’s absolutely no doubt that recently they’ve had a greater impact on the course of humanity, on our health decisions, politics, democracy, etc.

I think that one of the reasons that’s happening is because misinformation, conspiracy theories, and pseudoscience, they often play to our fears. They play to uncertainty. They provide answers. And that can be especially seductive when those answers are comforting, or they confirm preconceived ideas, or they speak to our personal identity.

Research tells us that when there’s a high level of anxiety, fear, or uncertainty, that is when pseudoscience, misinformation, and conspiracy theories flourish. And that’s where we are today.

In his presentations, Timothy explores the nature and source of the current infodemic, providing science-informed recommendations about how best to engage individuals and communities.

SpSp: What role or blame does social media get in misinformation spread?

TC: There’s no doubt that social media has changed the game. It has allowed the creation of echo chambers. It has allowed the polarization of public discourse. In fact, you can think of social media as a polarization machine. The algorithms push extreme views. There have been a lot of interesting studies to back that up. Some of our own research has found that the polarization and the spread of misinformation are almost baked into the social media infrastructure.

So that’s been a game changer. And I think the other game changer is the degree to which misinformation has become about ideology and political identity. It’s important to recognize this happens across the ideological spectrum. Yes, in this cultural moment, we are seeing it more from one corner, but it absolutely happens across the ideological spectrum. And that’s because social media and misinformation want to play to your preconceived notions. It wants to play to your rage. It wants to create more rage so there’ll be more content and more eyes on the platforms. And we have to figure out how we can push back against that noise.

Hear more from Timothy about the “social media effect” in the video below. He also believes AI will unleash a whole new level of misinformation and health bunk on us that we have to prepare for.

Weeding Out the BS: Combating Misinformation

SpSp: How can we better prepare ourselves to sift through the misinformation around us?

TC: First of all, I think we need to recognize that the spread of misinformation is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and research backs this up. There’s been international surveys, and both the general public and experts agree this is right up there with climate change.

The good news is that people are increasingly recognizing this. You have world leaders, the UN, research institutions, etc., recognizing how profound this challenge actually is.

What we need to do is come at it from a variety of directions. We need a multi-pronged assault. We have to teach critical thinking skills. We have to teach media literacy. We have to pre-bunk. We have to debunk. And yes, we have to use regulatory measures when appropriate and in a transparent manner that will satisfy the norms of a liberal democracy.

Yes, AI is going to make it more challenging. Yes, the degree to which misinformation has become politicized is going to make this more challenging. But I think we have evidence-informed strategies to move forward with.

The Biggest Health Craze to Avoid

SpSp: What is the wildest bunk craze you’ve encountered?

TC: There is so much noise out there, so much bunk that lives on, they’re like these zombies that can’t be killed. One of my favourite examples is the idea of detoxing and cleansing. This idea will not die, even though there’s never been any evidence to support it. It can be harmful. Some of these detoxes and cleanses are really extreme.

I’ve tried them for my own sort of personal experiment. They’ve never worked. There’s never been any science behind it. If you see the word detox or cleanse being promoted by a health care provider, it’s a pretty clear red flag that bunk is coming.

Most of these detoxes and cleanses are just really extreme diets. Will you lose weight? Yes, you will because you’re not eating anything. Will the weight come back on? Yes. Will you feel like crap? Yes. Does it really work? No. Does it do harm? Probably.

New Documentary Coming Out October 2024

SpSp: What new projects are you working on?

I have a number of fun projects that are coming up. First of all, I have a new book coming out at the beginning of 2025 called The Certainty Illusion, where I explore how we’re in the middle of a knowledge creation crisis. I try to give us a path forward and, of course, I try to have a little bit of fun with it as well. I’m really proud of how that book turned out.

I also have a new documentary coming out October 23rd, dropping on CBC, and I’m also really proud of it. It’s called Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and I explore how masculinity is being portrayed in pop culture and the problems with that. It’s also one of those projects where I feel like I learned a little bit along the way.

Hire Timothy Caulfield to Speak at Your Next Event

Currently a professor at the University of Alberta, Professor Timothy Caulfield has been involved in a variety of interdisciplinary research endeavours that have earned him numerous academic, science communication, and writing awards.

Timothy’s fun, humorous, and provocative presentations tackle misinformation head on, often debunking common health myths and providing practical, evidence-based recommendations in their place. He can speak to healthcare-specific topics such as vaccinations, stem cell research, organ donation, and the latest medical research, while also appealing to a wider audience with his take on popular culture and whether Gwyneth Paltrow is truly wrong about everything.

Contact us for more information about Timothy and how to book him for you next event.