In a world where there is so much conflicting information, how are we supposed to know what’s real from what’s fake? Professor Timothy Caulfield has dedicated decades towards helping people answer this question. For over 20 years, Timothy was the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and became renowned for debunking myths and assumptions — from research on stem cells to diets and alternative medicine — about innovation in the health sector.

While Timothy has worked in the science communication space for a long time — specifically combating misinformation — he has never seen anything like what is happening right now. “We’re in the middle of a knowledge creation and communication crisis,” he said.

Wanting to dig into this mess and look for answers, Timothy recently published his fourth book, The Certainty Illusion, where he explores what he calls one of “the greatest and most important challenges of our time.” His new book lifts the curtain on the forces contributing to our information chaos and unpacks why it’s so difficult — sometimes even for experts — to escape the fake. Timothy hopes to help readers recognize and combat those forces in the pursuit of truth.

We recently sat down with Tim to talk about his new book and explore the misinformation crisis — how we got here and what we can do about it.

Is Certainty an Illusion?

Speakers Spotlight: The title of your book poses a question in itself — can we ever truly be certain or is “certainty” always an illusion?

Timothy Caulfield: I think we crave certainty — especially since our information environment is so chaotic. And this creates a paradox. Because of that chaos we seek certainty and guidance — about our health, world events, the environment, etc. — and that desire is exploited to push more nonsense and misinformation. We’ve seen this in the rise of fake and misleading science, opinion, and virtuous goals (something I call the goodness illusion).

The reality is that very often, there isn’t certainty. Science is hard and messy, world events are often random and not caused by some grand master plan, and our ill-health is not determined by a single evil “toxin” or bad actor. Recognizing this reality — and that our information environment is often rigged against us — may sound like a downer, but it is actually empowering and liberating. It can help people focus on the stuff that really matters.

Misinformation: Forces at Play

SpSp: You explore several forces that contribute to our current state of information chaos — science, goodness, and opinion. How do they feed off of each other, and how specifically does our desire to be good and do good contribute to misinformation?

TC: To cite just one example, bad science is used to sell products that play to our desire to do what is right (goodness) for ourselves, our families, and our communities. And this is all supported by opinion — such as fake reviews — to further legitimize the claims.

Think about the marketing of “clean” beauty products. These are pushed as if they are a virtuous choice — even though there is no good evidence to support that claim — and legitimized by both science-y language and reference to iffy science. The reality is that the “clean” label, which is everywhere these days, is just a science-free health halo that exploits fear and the desire to do good in order to sell more products we don’t actually need.

SpSp: You are so immersed in the world of misinformation and spotting misinformation. While researching for your book, did anything surprise you?

TC: Yes! While the book tackles some very serious and urgent issues, I also look at fun and unusual topics. For example, I was surprised at how much nonsense there is with pet food marketing! It is a huge industry and there is so much misleading rhetoric. Also, the degree to which online reviews are fraudulent or manipulated shocked me. Even with that knowledge, I can’t stop using them!

Remaining Hopeful Through the Age of Misinformation

SpSp: There’s a fine line between healthy skepticism and outright cynicism — how can people find a healthy balance?

TC: It really is a fine line! Some recent studies have found that efforts to counter lies and misleading claims can have an adverse spillover effect — it may cause some people to become skeptical of even reliable and science-informed content. 

We need to remember that reliable information exists and, for most topics, it can be relatively easy to find if we remember to consider things like the nature of the evidence used. The problem is that those pushing misinformation often exploit that “in the moment” reaction we have to content. They want to make us mad or fearful, for example. Remember to pause, think about accuracy, and consider the body of evidence.

SpSp: How do you remain hopeful about the future of truth in such an uncertain landscape?

TC: There is a lot to be worried about, for sure. This really is a crisis. And I worry that recent world events (looking at you, America) will only make all of this much, much worse. But the good news is that there is more good research on point. We are learning about our information environment, the forces that are twisting knowledge, and what we can do about it as individuals, communities, and nations.

SpSp: What do you hope readers will takeaway from your book?

TC: In general, I’m an optimistic person. But it does feel like we are on the cusp of a new Dark Age. I hope my book will, in some small way, inspire action. We can’t let the candle in the dark go out. We must fight for knowledge.

Hire Timothy Caulfield to Speak at Your Event

Professor Timothy Caulfield is a professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health and the Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta.

In addition to The Certainty Illusion, he is the bestselling author of three books: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness, and Happiness and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash, and Relax, Dammit!: A User’s Guide to the Age of Anxiety.

Contact us to learn more about Timothy and how he can help your audience better navigate the age of misinformation and science-ploitation.