Sandro M.
@srmarcon.bsky.social
Literally & figuratively a big fat nerd.
Engagement & passion in the face of nihilism.
Health & media researcher / Science + Tech
Research work: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=89c0ilQAAAAJ&hl=en
Image by Mu Pan
Engagement & passion in the face of nihilism.
Health & media researcher / Science + Tech
Research work: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=89c0ilQAAAAJ&hl=en
Image by Mu Pan
Reposted by Sandro M.
Those marketing (totally bunk) "stem cell" supplements love lean on meaningless wellness-woo phrases, like natural, GMO-free, pure, organic, toxin-free...
Science-y nonsense + wellness nonsense = BS Supergroup!
Our study: www.cell.com/stem-cell-re... cc @stemcellnetwork.ca @isscr.org
Science-y nonsense + wellness nonsense = BS Supergroup!
Our study: www.cell.com/stem-cell-re... cc @stemcellnetwork.ca @isscr.org
November 2, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Those marketing (totally bunk) "stem cell" supplements love lean on meaningless wellness-woo phrases, like natural, GMO-free, pure, organic, toxin-free...
Science-y nonsense + wellness nonsense = BS Supergroup!
Our study: www.cell.com/stem-cell-re... cc @stemcellnetwork.ca @isscr.org
Science-y nonsense + wellness nonsense = BS Supergroup!
Our study: www.cell.com/stem-cell-re... cc @stemcellnetwork.ca @isscr.org
Reposted by Sandro M.
"Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say" gizmodo.com/cracker-barr...
Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say
Doesn't that make more sense than lots of people caring about Cracker Barrel?
gizmodo.com
September 27, 2025 at 12:35 AM
"Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say" gizmodo.com/cracker-barr...
Update from the clown car!
September 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Update from the clown car!
Stem cells wildly and recklessly promoted in #alternativemedicine and #wellness worlds by @drkatiesuleta.bsky.social
"Stem cell clinics essentially market themselves as the “We can cure your (insert condition, disease, concern here).”
www.acsh.org/news/2025/09...
"Stem cell clinics essentially market themselves as the “We can cure your (insert condition, disease, concern here).”
www.acsh.org/news/2025/09...
Stem Cell Therapies: The Truth Behind Wellness Scams
Stem cells made a public splash with large research breakthroughs in the 90s and early 2000s. However, since then, stem cells have largely been adopted by the alternative medicine and wellness world a...
www.acsh.org
September 18, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Stem cells wildly and recklessly promoted in #alternativemedicine and #wellness worlds by @drkatiesuleta.bsky.social
"Stem cell clinics essentially market themselves as the “We can cure your (insert condition, disease, concern here).”
www.acsh.org/news/2025/09...
"Stem cell clinics essentially market themselves as the “We can cure your (insert condition, disease, concern here).”
www.acsh.org/news/2025/09...
#CDC data shows that from 2021-2023 ultraprocessed food made up 62% of young people's diets in #America
Widespread consumption of real food needed - but a real challenge: cultural norms, price, time, availability, etc.
#health #publichealth #diet #nutrition
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Widespread consumption of real food needed - but a real challenge: cultural norms, price, time, availability, etc.
#health #publichealth #diet #nutrition
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Ultraprocessed Foods and Health
This Medical News article discusses a new American Heart Association science advisory on ultraprocessed foods, cardiometabolic health, and policy recommendations for improving dietary patterns.
jamanetwork.com
September 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM
#CDC data shows that from 2021-2023 ultraprocessed food made up 62% of young people's diets in #America
Widespread consumption of real food needed - but a real challenge: cultural norms, price, time, availability, etc.
#health #publichealth #diet #nutrition
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Widespread consumption of real food needed - but a real challenge: cultural norms, price, time, availability, etc.
#health #publichealth #diet #nutrition
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Sandro M.
Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in modern medicine.
Protecting access is vital to the health and safety of Minnesotans.
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
Protecting access is vital to the health and safety of Minnesotans.
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
Walz counters federal vaccine moves with state-level order to maintain broad access
Minnesota moves to maintain access to vaccines after federal guidance last week ordered limitations on who has access to the COVID-19 booster shot.
www.mprnews.org
September 9, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in modern medicine.
Protecting access is vital to the health and safety of Minnesotans.
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
Protecting access is vital to the health and safety of Minnesotans.
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...
Reposted by Sandro M.
#ScienceMatters
We all have a role to play in standing up for science.
Speak up and share your stories about how false health information is impacting you, Canada, and the world.
For the web version of this letter, visit ScienceUpFirst.com
#ScienceUpFirst
We all have a role to play in standing up for science.
Speak up and share your stories about how false health information is impacting you, Canada, and the world.
For the web version of this letter, visit ScienceUpFirst.com
#ScienceUpFirst
September 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
#ScienceMatters
We all have a role to play in standing up for science.
Speak up and share your stories about how false health information is impacting you, Canada, and the world.
For the web version of this letter, visit ScienceUpFirst.com
#ScienceUpFirst
We all have a role to play in standing up for science.
Speak up and share your stories about how false health information is impacting you, Canada, and the world.
For the web version of this letter, visit ScienceUpFirst.com
#ScienceUpFirst
Reposted by Sandro M.
True. And in Canada, NACI’s and the Canadian Pediatric Society’s “you do you” unwillingness to strongly recommend COVID vaccination for children despite @jamapediatrics.com declaring long COVID a leading chronic childhood disease has carried water for the restriction of vaccine access in Alberta.
Yes. And all the Public Health officials who endorsed the "you do you" vibes-based approach to COVID? You helped support this. You fed the fire.
This is all true. We are in for some dark times, unless something dramatic changes, quickly.
AND: those of us in the field of public health, are needed more now, than ever.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/o...
AND: those of us in the field of public health, are needed more now, than ever.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/o...
August 29, 2025 at 2:31 PM
True. And in Canada, NACI’s and the Canadian Pediatric Society’s “you do you” unwillingness to strongly recommend COVID vaccination for children despite @jamapediatrics.com declaring long COVID a leading chronic childhood disease has carried water for the restriction of vaccine access in Alberta.
Reposted by Sandro M.
Teachers: we really need supports for complex needs in classrooms, lower class sizes, better working conditions, and appropriate funding
UCP: best we can do is a book ban
UCP: best we can do is a book ban
August 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Teachers: we really need supports for complex needs in classrooms, lower class sizes, better working conditions, and appropriate funding
UCP: best we can do is a book ban
UCP: best we can do is a book ban
Reposted by Sandro M.
Well, the list of books being banned from EPSB is appalling. And it's very likely that an author on this list will get their other works pulled too, especially in the absence of teacher librarians.
There are books on this list that changed my life. This is what the UCP is taking away from kids.
There are books on this list that changed my life. This is what the UCP is taking away from kids.
August 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Well, the list of books being banned from EPSB is appalling. And it's very likely that an author on this list will get their other works pulled too, especially in the absence of teacher librarians.
There are books on this list that changed my life. This is what the UCP is taking away from kids.
There are books on this list that changed my life. This is what the UCP is taking away from kids.
Reposted by Sandro M.
Unbelievable but believable. Ugh.
Trump and RFK Jr. to Ban Covid-19 Vaccine ‘Within Months’ www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump...
Yet another discredited voice using a discredited “study” (while ignoring a large body of evidence) used to support harmful BS.
Dark Age 2.0
Trump and RFK Jr. to Ban Covid-19 Vaccine ‘Within Months’ www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump...
Yet another discredited voice using a discredited “study” (while ignoring a large body of evidence) used to support harmful BS.
Dark Age 2.0
Trump and RFK Jr. to Ban Covid-19 Vaccine ‘Within Months’
A close associate of the HHS secretary claims the U.S. government will soon pull COVID-19 mRNA jabs from the market.
www.thedailybeast.com
August 25, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Unbelievable but believable. Ugh.
Trump and RFK Jr. to Ban Covid-19 Vaccine ‘Within Months’ www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump...
Yet another discredited voice using a discredited “study” (while ignoring a large body of evidence) used to support harmful BS.
Dark Age 2.0
Trump and RFK Jr. to Ban Covid-19 Vaccine ‘Within Months’ www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump...
Yet another discredited voice using a discredited “study” (while ignoring a large body of evidence) used to support harmful BS.
Dark Age 2.0
Scary stuff!
1) Test your home for #radon! Kits are around $200 CAD and money very well spent.
2) If you are exposed to wildfire smoke - MERV up your furnace filtres for those seasons - the higher MERV, the better. Also consider a HEPA air-filter all year round
www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
1) Test your home for #radon! Kits are around $200 CAD and money very well spent.
2) If you are exposed to wildfire smoke - MERV up your furnace filtres for those seasons - the higher MERV, the better. Also consider a HEPA air-filter all year round
www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
August 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Scary stuff!
1) Test your home for #radon! Kits are around $200 CAD and money very well spent.
2) If you are exposed to wildfire smoke - MERV up your furnace filtres for those seasons - the higher MERV, the better. Also consider a HEPA air-filter all year round
www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
1) Test your home for #radon! Kits are around $200 CAD and money very well spent.
2) If you are exposed to wildfire smoke - MERV up your furnace filtres for those seasons - the higher MERV, the better. Also consider a HEPA air-filter all year round
www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
Tomorrow #Instagram content from "professionals" will now be indexed (appearing) on Google search results.
It's vital for scientists and scientific orgs to be active on social media.
The attention wars are heating up. Truth and accuracy have much to lose.
thekeyword.medium.com/instagram-to...
It's vital for scientists and scientific orgs to be active on social media.
The attention wars are heating up. Truth and accuracy have much to lose.
thekeyword.medium.com/instagram-to...
Instagram to let Google and Bing index public posts from professional accounts
The new update could enhance content discovery in search result pages
thekeyword.medium.com
July 9, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Tomorrow #Instagram content from "professionals" will now be indexed (appearing) on Google search results.
It's vital for scientists and scientific orgs to be active on social media.
The attention wars are heating up. Truth and accuracy have much to lose.
thekeyword.medium.com/instagram-to...
It's vital for scientists and scientific orgs to be active on social media.
The attention wars are heating up. Truth and accuracy have much to lose.
thekeyword.medium.com/instagram-to...
Reposted by Sandro M.
Vinay Prasad overrode the recommendations of a panel of scientists who said that 2025-2026 COVID19 vaccines should be recommended for everyone over the age of 12 years.
COVID19 remains a serious public health threat. He will get people killed. He doesn’t care. His ego wins, always.
COVID19 remains a serious public health threat. He will get people killed. He doesn’t care. His ego wins, always.
FDA vaccine official restricted COVID vaccine approvals against the advice of agency staff
A top official at the Food and Drug Administration recently overruled government scientists on the availability of two COVID-19 vaccines
abcnews.go.com
July 3, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Vinay Prasad overrode the recommendations of a panel of scientists who said that 2025-2026 COVID19 vaccines should be recommended for everyone over the age of 12 years.
COVID19 remains a serious public health threat. He will get people killed. He doesn’t care. His ego wins, always.
COVID19 remains a serious public health threat. He will get people killed. He doesn’t care. His ego wins, always.
Reposted by Sandro M.
Sum: NOT experts
Members of RFK Jr’s new vaccine committee have published little on vaccines www.science.org/content/arti...
"...new panel members have been authors on about 78% fewer vaccine-related papers than the ousted members.
4 new members have published no such papers at all"
Members of RFK Jr’s new vaccine committee have published little on vaccines www.science.org/content/arti...
"...new panel members have been authors on about 78% fewer vaccine-related papers than the ousted members.
4 new members have published no such papers at all"
The members of RFK Jr.’s new vaccine committee have published little on vaccines
Purge at immunization panel represents a major loss of expertise, as measured by scientific papers
www.science.org
June 16, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Sum: NOT experts
Members of RFK Jr’s new vaccine committee have published little on vaccines www.science.org/content/arti...
"...new panel members have been authors on about 78% fewer vaccine-related papers than the ousted members.
4 new members have published no such papers at all"
Members of RFK Jr’s new vaccine committee have published little on vaccines www.science.org/content/arti...
"...new panel members have been authors on about 78% fewer vaccine-related papers than the ousted members.
4 new members have published no such papers at all"
#Vaccines are so politicized that getting access for kids is becoming a challenge in #Canada.
Just unreal.
As @blakemurdoch.bsky.social writes:
"This is a lesson in how to administrate vaccination out of existence without technically banning it."
#health
edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...
Just unreal.
As @blakemurdoch.bsky.social writes:
"This is a lesson in how to administrate vaccination out of existence without technically banning it."
#health
edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...
Opinion: UCP's COVID vaccine cuts put children at serious risk
A policy of ending pediatric COVID vaccination will disable, hospitalize and even kill Albertan children, leaving blood on Smith’s hands.
edmontonjournal.com
June 16, 2025 at 9:09 PM
#Vaccines are so politicized that getting access for kids is becoming a challenge in #Canada.
Just unreal.
As @blakemurdoch.bsky.social writes:
"This is a lesson in how to administrate vaccination out of existence without technically banning it."
#health
edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...
Just unreal.
As @blakemurdoch.bsky.social writes:
"This is a lesson in how to administrate vaccination out of existence without technically banning it."
#health
edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...
Reposted by Sandro M.
Science-integrity project will root out bad medical papers ‘and tell everyone’ www.nature.com/articles/d41... via @nature.com @retractionwatch.com
"I don’t think anything is more of an immediate threat to people than bad medical research."
"I don’t think anything is more of an immediate threat to people than bad medical research."
Science-integrity project will root out bad medical papers ‘and tell everyone’
Group behind Retraction Watch aims to pinpoint the most influential flawed health data.
www.nature.com
June 7, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Science-integrity project will root out bad medical papers ‘and tell everyone’ www.nature.com/articles/d41... via @nature.com @retractionwatch.com
"I don’t think anything is more of an immediate threat to people than bad medical research."
"I don’t think anything is more of an immediate threat to people than bad medical research."
Sounds good from #TikTok to block hashtags "promoting disordered eating and unhealthy weight loss behaviours"
But a decade ago #Instagram banned pro anoxeria hashtags with little impact:
www.wired.com/story/instag...
Will this moderation work?
#health #socialmedia
www.cbc.ca/news/tiktok-...
But a decade ago #Instagram banned pro anoxeria hashtags with little impact:
www.wired.com/story/instag...
Will this moderation work?
#health #socialmedia
www.cbc.ca/news/tiktok-...
TikTok blocks #SkinnyTok due to extreme weight loss, disordered eating content | CBC News
TikTok has banned the hashtag SkinnyTok from its platform after noting an increase in extreme weight loss and disordered eating content being posted under the hashtag. Search results for the term now ...
www.cbc.ca
June 5, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Sounds good from #TikTok to block hashtags "promoting disordered eating and unhealthy weight loss behaviours"
But a decade ago #Instagram banned pro anoxeria hashtags with little impact:
www.wired.com/story/instag...
Will this moderation work?
#health #socialmedia
www.cbc.ca/news/tiktok-...
But a decade ago #Instagram banned pro anoxeria hashtags with little impact:
www.wired.com/story/instag...
Will this moderation work?
#health #socialmedia
www.cbc.ca/news/tiktok-...
New piece out on research with @marcozenone.bsky.social
"Google is enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation."
CC: @caulfieldtim.bsky.social, @blakemurdoch.bsky.social
theconversation.com/google-searc...
"Google is enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation."
CC: @caulfieldtim.bsky.social, @blakemurdoch.bsky.social
theconversation.com/google-searc...
Google searches for information about cancer lead to targeted ads from alternative clinics
Alternative cancer clinics spent over an US$15 million on Google ad spaces, generating millions of website visits from people searching for cancer information.
theconversation.com
June 4, 2025 at 1:49 PM
New piece out on research with @marcozenone.bsky.social
"Google is enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation."
CC: @caulfieldtim.bsky.social, @blakemurdoch.bsky.social
theconversation.com/google-searc...
"Google is enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation."
CC: @caulfieldtim.bsky.social, @blakemurdoch.bsky.social
theconversation.com/google-searc...
Reposted by Sandro M.
RFK Jr ends #Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy kids & pregnant women. He announced the change in a video posted on the hell-scape known as X. His announcement comes as a new Covid variant has begun circulating in the US. NB.1.8.1 has been surging in China www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdi...
CDC Ends COVID Vaccine Recs for Healthy Kids, Pregnant Women
RFK Jr. announced the change in a video posted to X
www.medpagetoday.com
May 27, 2025 at 4:32 PM
RFK Jr ends #Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy kids & pregnant women. He announced the change in a video posted on the hell-scape known as X. His announcement comes as a new Covid variant has begun circulating in the US. NB.1.8.1 has been surging in China www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdi...
Yikes
This was just posted by @tbretc.bsky.social on another platform. The Chicago Sun-Times obviously gets ChatGPT to write a ‘summer reads’ feature almost entirely made up of real authors but completely fake books. What are we coming to?
May 21, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Yikes
As commented below by @davidmalakoff.bsky.social (/2):
Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.
Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool.
Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.
Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool.
Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF
Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress
www.science.org
May 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM
As commented below by @davidmalakoff.bsky.social (/2):
Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.
Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool.
Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.
Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool.
New word: Twee
Meaning: excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental
Meaning: excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental
May 13, 2025 at 7:55 PM
New word: Twee
Meaning: excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental
Meaning: excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental