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Do you ever wonder why I get so passionate about fake news stories, false memes, bad science, and myths? Sometimes I hear statements like, “Well, it definitely could be true.” Or “Even if it’s not true it’s a good story.”  NOPE.  First of all, truth matters. Facts matter. I find it upsetting to see people spreading false stories either from the right or the left. Of course, I have a bias, but I will fact check anyone, even if they might share my general bias (my friends can attest to this).

Second of all, fake news can have horrible consequences. There’s a story about that in today’s The Daily podcast, which is produced by the New York Times. It’s a fascinating and disturbing story of one fake news story and its awful consequences. It is important to check your sources and be careful what information you spread. This story shows why. Click here for the story from The Daily.

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It should come as no surprise that in addition to my interest in fact checking, I’m a big fan of science. I trust the scientific method, as long as it’s used properly and tested and backed up by further study. I highly recommend the podcast “Science Vs”. Each episode takes on a new (often controversial) subject and goes into the science about it, but on a level a layperson can understand.

Two recent ones I found very helpful were “Detoxing and cleanses – Do they work?” and “Vaccines – Are they safe?”.

Never ask me if I am interested in trying a cleanse. Last time I tried one I ended up puking on the floor. And the science just doesn’t hold up. (Check the podcast above.)  Also, I keep my kids fully vaccinated. Whatever minimal risks there are (and they are extremely minimal), it’s nothing to the dangers of whooping cough or measles. It’s also insulting to the parents of kids with special needs to imply that it’s better to risk your kids die of a horrible disease than possibly have autism (and there is NO LINK between autism and vaccines anyway–that is debunked).