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Timothy Caulfield

@caulfieldtim.bsky.social

31K followers 770 following 2.2K posts

Professor of health law and science policy, author, speaker, and commentator. #ScienceUpFirst Linktree: https://linktr.ee/caulfieldtim

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · Apr 29

We are in the middle of a knowledge production crisis!

Science, opinion, & “goodness” are weaponized for profit, politics, & personal gain.

In my new book, I lift the curtain on the forces contributing to this chaos & look for a path forward.

ORDER: penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/713451...

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2h

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 8h

True, true. Always need to listen, learn, and improve. And humility key.

Every scicomm and public health expert I know is fully aware – and want more research & reflection.

But, but... studies show that the broad distrust we are seeing now mostly CREATED by lies & doubtmongering.

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 9h

Quitting smoking nearly doubles life expectancy for cancer patients www.upi.com/Health_News/...

"Experts argue it's never too late to quit smoking, and a new study says that applies to people with late-stage #cancer as well."

Quitting smoking nearly doubles life expectancy for cancer patients - UPI.com

Patients with advanced cancer gained nearly a full year of additional life if they quit smoking, compared to those who kept lighting up, researchers reported.

www.upi.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 10h

May take a beat. Canadian Thanksgiving!

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 11h

Your piece is awesome (as always). I've sent a note to editors at @thewalrus.ca.

My fault! Forgive me, my friend.

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 11h

OMG! That is an editor error!!!

This is what I wrote: "as argued by food journalist and author Tamar Haspel, as the key proxy of badness?"

I should have caught that! Will get them to correct ASAP! I am familiar with your position and support 100%!

Yikes.

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 11h

My new piece! 👇

Sure, UPFs Are Bad. But How Does That Help Anyone? thewalrus.ca/sure-ultra-p... @thewalrus.ca

Oversimplifying nature of problem by creating one big bogeyman can cause harm. It can muddle our understanding of healthy eating, blame the wrong people, and pave the way for bad policies

Sure, Ultra-Processed Foods Are Bad. But How Does That Help Anyone? | The Walrus

Nutrition panic distracts from the policies that make healthy eating a privilege

thewalrus.ca

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 12h

The Persistent Pull of Planet Epstein www.newyorker.com/news/fault-l...

"...conspiracy-minded content creators are offering [the public] a dark alternative view of the world."

Yep, and the distrust in tradition media largely manufactured by those pushing the bunk.

A dark dark cycle.

The Persistent Pull of Planet Epstein

Many Americans have stopped trusting establishment media, and conspiracy-minded content creators are offering them a dark alternative view of the world.

www.newyorker.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 12h

FDA Recognizes a Threat in Sketchy Peptide Sellers conscienhealth.org/2025/09/fda-... via @conscienhealth.bsky.social

So many bunk "peptide" products & hype. Potential for real harm.

FDA Recognizes a Threat in Sketchy Peptide Sellers - ConscienHealth

FDA is recognizing one of the most pernicious threats to emerge from compounding for weight loss – sketchy sellers of “research” peptides.

conscienhealth.org

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 13h

🚨Our new study: Marketing of [BS] stem cell supplements www.cell.com/stem-cell-re... cc @stemcellnetwork.ca

"Marketing portrayed beneficial effect for over 60 diverse ailments..."

"All health claims were expressed with vague, noncausal verbs such as 'supports'..."

Needed: consumer protection!

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 1d

Political identity shapes our information ecosystem.👇

Calcified partisanship "makes older Americans vulnerable to hyperpartisan news..."

And "may partially explain the high rates of engagement with dubious news domains..."

Partisanship & Dubious News academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 1d

Such an honour to be part of this amazing night. Thank you to the incredible St Joseph's community! 🙏

Celebrating science and spirit www.sjhc.london.on.ca/news-and-med...

#GoScience!

Celebrating science and spirit

www.sjhc.london.on.ca

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 1d

More People Suffer From 'Chemophobia' — And MAHA Is Partly To Blame www.huffpost.com/entry/chemop...

@drandrealove.bsky.social: "everything is chemicals. Your body is a sack of chemicals."

Me: "it all just becomes slogans & wellness nonsense."

MAHA noise distracts us from helpful health actions.

A New Type Of Phobia Is Spreading Through American Households — And MAGA Is Partly To Blame

The fear tactic strikes a nerve with both conservatives and liberals alike. Here’s what you need to know.

www.huffpost.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 1d

Great piece. Really useful resource too. 🙏

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 1d

Extracting Drugs from Nature Is Hard www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... @jonathanjarry.bsky.social

"The fact that a natural molecule has some anticancer activity when added to cells in a plastic dish does not mean it will be safe & effective when given to a patient"

Reality: most fail in human studies.

Extracting Drugs from Nature Is Hard

A video on Facebook with nearly one million views informs me that the avocado tree is a pharmacy in disguise. “Its leaves help regulate blood sugar,” the narrator says, “its seeds target cancer cells,...

www.mcgill.ca

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Hundred of large well done studies from all across the world vs 1 deeply flawed assoc study? www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdi...

Amazing how antivaxxers ignore large body of evidence & expert opinion, but when they find something that they think supports their view?

Cognitive bias fest.

COVID Vaccines and Cancer Risk: Experts Dissect Flawed Study

Retrospective study from Korea proves nothing about COVID shots and cancer, experts say

www.medpagetoday.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Ugh. More data ≠ more health. Why?

- little evidence better health outcomes
- behaviour change hard
- can lead to > anxiety > iatrogenic injury > over-diagnosis
- can take pleasure out of healthy activity

High-tech wellness woo. My vote? Enjoy a basic #healthylifestyle

time.com/7324741/heal...

How Tracking Your Health Metrics Can Help You Live Longer

Zahi Fayad is leading a Digital Twins study investigating how our health data can be put to better use to help us live healthier.

time.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

"...higher parent-reported total screen time and TV and digital media time were associated with lower reading and math achievement on standardized tests in elementary school."

Association Study: Screen Time & Academic Achievement jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Screen Time and Standardized Academic Achievement Tests in Elementary School

This cohort study evaluates whether there is an association between different types of screen time, including TV, digital media, and video gaming, and standardized academic achievement test results in...

jamanetwork.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Increasingly, AI shaping our information environment.

AI and news report 2025 reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/generative-a... via @reutersinstitute.bsky.social

64% in US saw an AI answer in past week.

Among those who saw AI answers, about one third (33%) say they always or often click links...

Generative AI and news report 2025: How people think about AI’s role in journalism and society

Our survey explores how people use generative AI in their everyday lives, what they think its impact will be on different areas of society, and what they think about its use in news and journalism spe...

reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Timothy Caulfield warns of a “knowledge crisis,” urges unions to push back against health misinformation cupe.ca/tim-caulfiel... via @cupescfp.bsky.social 🙏

"Vaccine debates are no longer about data — they’ve become symbols of political identity."

Tim Caulfield warns of a “knowledge crisis,” urges unions to push back against health misinformation

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cupe.ca

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Key: Most of current distrust in vaccines has been generated by misinformation mongers, especially in developed countries.

We need thoughtful engagement & trusted voices: wapo.st/4h0MTKW

"Confidence in pediatricians is a strong predictor of vaccination."

In an age of vaccine skepticism, parents trust pediatricians most

A Washington Post-KFF poll finds that pediatricians are the most trusted source for vaccine information and that confidence in them is a strong predictor of vaccination.

wapo.st

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Mental Health and the World of Women's Sport...👇

Check out this important talk: www.facebook.com/share/1G77xw... by Jane Caulfield (yes, I may have a connection to the speaker!)

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Less doubt mongering.👎 More facts. 👍

COVID Vaccines Still Effective, Study www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdi...

Effectiveness:
- 29.3% against emergency department visits
- 39.2% against hospitalizations
- 64% against deaths

"Vaccines were effective across age groups"

COVID Vaccines Still Effective Against Severe Outcomes, VA Study Suggests

Even as COVID's severity wanes, vaccines reduced emergency visits, hospital stays, and death

www.medpagetoday.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Sum: mostly science-free, brand-building, manipulative, wellness woo. Ignore.

Jay Shetty & his health advice are everywhere www.statnews.com/2025/10/10/j... via @statnews.com

His content often "...stripped of context, designed to prop up his own interests, or downright unsubstantiated by science."

Jay Shetty and his health advice are everywhere. It's by design

The wellness influencer and former monk Jay Shetty knows how to get attention and prop up his own interests.

www.statnews.com

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 2d

Ugh. The Rogan-ification of politics.👇

Influencers shaped political conversation more than media, parties: www.barrietoday.com/local-news/i...

Political content in Canada:
- 47% influencers
- 28% media
- 18% actual politicians

Note: > engagement with misinformation & polarizing narratives

Influencers shaped political conversation more than media, parties: study

Shift 'consistent with the news-sharing ban on Meta and reduced visibility of news on X, which elevated non-news voices and ‘infotainment’ publishers'

www.barrietoday.com

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