A: Last week, the United States Surgeon General issued and Advisory titled “Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment”. It outlines action steps for anyone to take to stop the spread of misinformation. For example, you can: -Learn how to identify and avoid sharing health misinformation -Engage with Read more…
I’m one of Those Nerdy Girls who is *not* a scientist, clinician, or researcher. As a retired teacher, I have been honored to have a place as COO of this amazing group for the past year. I am in awe of the power and strength of our entire Nerdy Community each and every day. Nerdy Read more…
A: No. The WHO said that where vaccine supplies are limited, vaccinating children is not a priority. Viral social media posts and some popular anti-vaccine channels did a great job this week spreading misinformation about the World Health Organization’s stance on vaccinating children with available COVID-19 vaccines. As is often the case with misinformation, it’s Read more…
Scientists share certain habits of mind, regardless of whether we study pathogens, people, or plants. As legendary astronomer Carl Sagan wrote: “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” Today we launch an occasional series on “How to Think Like a Scientist,” starting with three key values we Read more…
A: No. TL;DR: You are STICKY. Not MAGNETIC. BUT GOOD NEWS: Other superpowers from vaccination are likely, including immunity to a potentially fatal disease. From microchips to 5G reception, this year has been chock full of tall vaccine tales and viral videos. In recent weeks this has taken the form of “magnet challenges” showing refrigerator Read more…
If you haven’t had a chance yet, please go check out the online game Bad News, which is not only fun to play but it will help you learn to spot misinformation. In Bad News, you play a media magnate intent on building followers and viral reach at any cost. It turns out, roleplaying in Read more…
FACT OVER FALSEHOOD: A new occasional series The bad news: Setting the record straight on vaccine misinformation is a daunting job. The better news: Evidence-based strategies are effective in beating back bad info, and we can all help! Today we launch a new occasional series that fights back against vaccine myths using an evidence-based “truth Read more…
A: TL;DR. Masks work to prevent disease spread because they keep out the bigger particles and still let you breathe. Even though mask policies and behaviors are relaxing in many places right now (Summer 2021), we want to remind you of the benefits of mask wearing with this fun question from Summer 2020. If you Read more…
A: Gene therapies treat diseases using genetic tools. They usually work by making lasting changes to your DNA — the genetic “cookbook” that provides instructions to make you. Vaccines, by contrast, deliver a short-lived signal (e.g. a burst of protein), then disappear. Vaccines and gene therapies both use customized genetic tools to achieve their goals. Read more…
Today we are taking #GoodNewsTues quite literally – sharing out the Nerdy Girls’ favorite science news sources! Please let us know YOUR faves in the comments! The Nerdies’ List: 
Gretchen: NPR’s Goats and Soda and Kaiser Health News Morning Briefing 
Malia: Al Tompkins’ Covering COVID-19 Newsletter (via Poynter) 
Jenn: John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) on Twitter Read more…
A: Be civil. Focus on finding common ground. Choose your battles: You have greatest influence with those you know offline. Don’t waste your time on trolls. Good news: The science of science communication (yes, that’s a thing!) convincingly confirms that we all can help battle misinformation online. So what does the evidence say about the Read more…
A: The origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being unraveled. The leading theory is that SARS-CoV-2 jumped naturally from bats to humans (possibly through an intermediate species), as other viruses have done for ages. The lab-leak theory – an accidental spill from a research lab – is the underdog. It’s far less likely but Read more…
Q: My uncle says scientists never isolated the virus and that therefore the vaccine is a hoax. What do I say to this? A: We recommend serving up a tasty truth sandwich. 
First, state the truth: “That’s not true. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was isolated way back in January 2020 by separate Read more…
