From StarTalk.
Is medical misinformation just noise on the internet or a life-threatening epidemic? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly team up with pharmaceutical scientist and social media “medfluencer” Morgan McSweeny (aka Dr. Noc) to break down common internet medical myths from Big Pharma to raw milk to vaccine hesitancy. Plus a discussion with filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy from Shot in the Arm.
Why is the truth so boring compared to a good conspiracy? From “cancer cures that Big Pharma is hiding” to miracle Himalayan salt and raw milk, we unpack the fact from the fiction dominating social feeds. We discuss what social media reveals about ourselves and why it’s so hard to resist a digital car crash. Is it the algorithm or ourselves?
Are natural remedies being suppressed? What do drug patents actually cover? Dr. Noc breaks down drug development, biologics vs. chemicals, and how misinformation distorts risk. Is pink salt healthier? Do raw diets help? Is fluoride in the water dangerous? We explore what red flags to look out for when consuming media, and the tribalism involved in mixing medical decisions with identity.
The conversation shifts to vaccines: What is a vaccine, and how does it actually work? Can you get too many? Can you “boost” your immune system? What’s the real reason some vaccines need boosters while others don’t? Dr. Noc explains how the immune system works, why side effects happen, and why your immune system can handle yearly flu vaccinations.
Next, filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy discusses how storytelling can fight misinformation. What is the “social contract” of vaccination, and did the pandemic break it? Can we reclaim trust in science without falling into tribal traps of our own? From naturalist fallacies to freedom rhetoric, we examine where well-meaning skepticism crosses into denial. Is society willing to admit it has a problem? And what can we learn from past public health successes—and failures?
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Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Dr. Noc
04:00 – A Safe Place For Misinformation
11:00 – Are “They” Hiding the Cure to Cancer
16:21 – Natural Remedies
18:22 – Raw Diets
21:08 – Are GMO’s Bad For You?
23:50 – Fluoride in the Water
24:48 – How Do You Tell Information That’s Wrong?
31:08 – Trusting Scientists
34:45 – “Do Your Own Research”
37:05 – How do Vaccines Actually Work
40:18 – Can You Have Too Many Vaccinations?
42:50 – Overloading & Boosting Your Immune System
51:53 – Introduction: Scott Hamilton Kennedy & Shot in the Arm
56:42 – What is Propaganda?
58:28 – Remembering the Social Contract
01:02:30 – How Do We Fix This?
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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