David Scales
@tnfalpha.bsky.social
Hospitalist, sociologist @WeillCornell studying information environments, contested illness, medical communication
Co-founder, Health for Palestine
he/il/el/هو
Co-founder, Health for Palestine
he/il/el/هو
Pinned
David Scales
@tnfalpha.bsky.social
· Jun 17
Contemporary information systems face growing public distrust across a range of issues. This Perspective introduces a Community-Centered Exploration, Engagement, and Evaluation system to help detect and mitigate potential information harms.
Advocating for a community-centred model for responding to potential information harms - Nature Human Behaviour
Contemporary information systems face growing public distrust across a range of issues including public health, election integrity and climate. This Perspective introduces the Community-Centered Exploration, Engagement, and Evaluation system to help detect and mitigate potential information harms, integrating community participation and response at its core.
www.nature.com
Community expertise is essential for monitoring potential information harms, but current “social listening” efforts often bring community input late in the process. It’s time to update our tracking approaches to foreground that shift. @cward1e.bsky.social and I offer one approach in a new paper.
Reposted by David Scales
A new paper shows how social media accelerates extremism by flooding users with emotionally charged, divisive content that algorithms naturally amplify, making extremist narratives far more visible, engaging, and persuasive than they would be otherwise.
November 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
A new paper shows how social media accelerates extremism by flooding users with emotionally charged, divisive content that algorithms naturally amplify, making extremist narratives far more visible, engaging, and persuasive than they would be otherwise.
Reposted by David Scales
I wrote a book about US media’s complicity in the Gaza genocide. It's available for pre-order. It’s a data-driven and, I hope, thorough account of how center-left media sold the American public on mass death in Gaza.
Out 4/21. 100% of royalties go to @mecaforpeace.bsky.social.
Out 4/21. 100% of royalties go to @mecaforpeace.bsky.social.
How to Sell a Genocide - Pluto Press
A gripping exposé of how the corporate media fuelled genocide in Gaza
www.plutobooks.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I wrote a book about US media’s complicity in the Gaza genocide. It's available for pre-order. It’s a data-driven and, I hope, thorough account of how center-left media sold the American public on mass death in Gaza.
Out 4/21. 100% of royalties go to @mecaforpeace.bsky.social.
Out 4/21. 100% of royalties go to @mecaforpeace.bsky.social.
Courage is rare these days, but for NAS to say this-when they’re essentially a soft money org dependent on federal grants-shows they’re willing to stick their neck out to clearly reinforce the scientific consensus.
NEW: The National Academies release statement saying the revised language on @CDCgov web page on links between vaccines and autism, which cited some of the academies work, did not provide the full context. 1/2
www.nationalacademies.org/news/stateme...
www.nationalacademies.org/news/stateme...
National Academies - Statement on CDC’s Updated Vaccine Guidance
National Academies respond to CDC’s updated vaccine guidance, offering scientific context and clarity on vaccine safety.
www.nationalacademies.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Courage is rare these days, but for NAS to say this-when they’re essentially a soft money org dependent on federal grants-shows they’re willing to stick their neck out to clearly reinforce the scientific consensus.
Reposted by David Scales
Social media could work differently. We teach digital literacy, but ppl often can’t apply those lessons w/in systems that obscure where info comes from & how it gets to them. What might social media look like if users had better signals of information provenance? www.rawstory.com/maga-foreign...
Internet erupts as MAGA influencers exposed for being based in other countries
A large number of MAGA social media influencers were exposed over the weekend as being being based in other countries.Podcaster Matt Binder posted screenshots showing that Charlie’s Voice Rising, a po...
www.rawstory.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Social media could work differently. We teach digital literacy, but ppl often can’t apply those lessons w/in systems that obscure where info comes from & how it gets to them. What might social media look like if users had better signals of information provenance? www.rawstory.com/maga-foreign...
Reposted by David Scales
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
“we conducted in-depth interviews with 18 mothers who suffered late-term stillbirths, neonatal deaths or other incidents of serious harm after they or their birth attendants were heavily influenced by FBS.”
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:31 PM
“we conducted in-depth interviews with 18 mothers who suffered late-term stillbirths, neonatal deaths or other incidents of serious harm after they or their birth attendants were heavily influenced by FBS.”
Reposted by David Scales
Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone will have Always Been Against This has won the National Book Award. This is a deserving, necessary win. His words need to be on all of our minds and in all of our hearts.
"When it mattered, who sided with justice and who sided with power?"
"When it mattered, who sided with justice and who sided with power?"
November 21, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone will have Always Been Against This has won the National Book Award. This is a deserving, necessary win. His words need to be on all of our minds and in all of our hearts.
"When it mattered, who sided with justice and who sided with power?"
"When it mattered, who sided with justice and who sided with power?"
Reposted by David Scales
Elon Musk's Grokipedia cites the neo-Nazi website Stormfront 42 times, researchers say
An analysis by researchers at Cornell University is the first comprehensive look at Grokipedia since Musk launched his project last month.
An analysis by researchers at Cornell University is the first comprehensive look at Grokipedia since Musk launched his project last month.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia cites Stormfront — a neo-Nazi forum — dozens of times, study finds
An analysis by researchers at Cornell University is the first comprehensive look at Grokipedia since Musk launched his project last month.
www.nbcnews.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Elon Musk's Grokipedia cites the neo-Nazi website Stormfront 42 times, researchers say
An analysis by researchers at Cornell University is the first comprehensive look at Grokipedia since Musk launched his project last month.
An analysis by researchers at Cornell University is the first comprehensive look at Grokipedia since Musk launched his project last month.
Reposted by David Scales
Just wanna re-up in simple terms that when Biden talked to platforms, Jim Jordan launched years of investigations into everybody involved, said it was tyranny, censorship, etc.
And now they just straight up acknowledge that they talk to platforms too.
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/3...
And now they just straight up acknowledge that they talk to platforms too.
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/3...
DHS playing 'whack-a-mole' shooting down made-up ICE stories
The Department of Homeland Security is stepping up efforts to combat fake news, viral AI videos, and misinformation on ICE and Border Patrol.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Just wanna re-up in simple terms that when Biden talked to platforms, Jim Jordan launched years of investigations into everybody involved, said it was tyranny, censorship, etc.
And now they just straight up acknowledge that they talk to platforms too.
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/3...
And now they just straight up acknowledge that they talk to platforms too.
www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/3...
Reposted by David Scales
I haven't had enough time to process this yet but,
I've studied the anti-vax movement for 7 years of my career and I can't believe I'm now at the point where I can't recommend the CDC as a trustworthy source of health information.
This is dangerous, insane, and embarrassing.
I've studied the anti-vax movement for 7 years of my career and I can't believe I'm now at the point where I can't recommend the CDC as a trustworthy source of health information.
This is dangerous, insane, and embarrassing.
November 20, 2025 at 6:10 AM
I haven't had enough time to process this yet but,
I've studied the anti-vax movement for 7 years of my career and I can't believe I'm now at the point where I can't recommend the CDC as a trustworthy source of health information.
This is dangerous, insane, and embarrassing.
I've studied the anti-vax movement for 7 years of my career and I can't believe I'm now at the point where I can't recommend the CDC as a trustworthy source of health information.
This is dangerous, insane, and embarrassing.
Reposted by David Scales
"Things" -- like the repressive dictator sitting next to me having a journalist chopped up with a bone saw -- "happen."
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 6:23 PM
"Things" -- like the repressive dictator sitting next to me having a journalist chopped up with a bone saw -- "happen."
Reposted by David Scales
November 18, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Reposted by David Scales
reminded of eric williams's observation about britain's relationship to its history with slavery. "British historians wrote almost as if Britain had introduced Negro slavery solely for the satisfaction of abolishing it."
holy shit: “Among the 2,000 UK adults surveyed, 85% were unaware that Britain forcibly transported more than 3 million Africans to the Caribbean, 89% did not know that Britain enslaved people in the Caribbean for more than 300 years” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Caribbean reparations leaders in ‘historic’ first UK visit to press for justice
CRC mission will seek to deepen public understanding of Britain’s colonial legacy and its lasting impact
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:11 PM
reminded of eric williams's observation about britain's relationship to its history with slavery. "British historians wrote almost as if Britain had introduced Negro slavery solely for the satisfaction of abolishing it."
Compelling and thought provoking piece by Pau Perez Sales "One occupation, Two Realities: Psychosocial Mechanisms that Make Genocidal Acts Possible" The first article in this issue: tidsskrift.dk/torture-jour... @diplomatofnight.com
View of Vol. 35 No. 2-3 (2025): Torture Journal: Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture
tidsskrift.dk
November 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Compelling and thought provoking piece by Pau Perez Sales "One occupation, Two Realities: Psychosocial Mechanisms that Make Genocidal Acts Possible" The first article in this issue: tidsskrift.dk/torture-jour... @diplomatofnight.com
This hits close to home...
"I am a grown woman, and I reserve the right to feel anything, google it for several hours, send Brynn a text that says 'lol help,' and receive the gold standard of compassionate medical advice."
Keep Health Care Between Me, the Internet, and My Friend Who Is a Nurse
Senators, please get OUT of my uterus so my friend Brynn, who is almost finished with nursing school, can get in there STAT. My body doesn’t need t...
buff.ly
November 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
This hits close to home...
Reposted by David Scales
This is designed to tank public health & primary care by excluding public health professions, advanced nursing practice, physical & occupational therapy from loans that can cover the cost of education. This is going to make an existing workforce crisis worse.
aspph.org/department-o...
aspph.org/department-o...
Department of Education Proposal Excludes Public Health Degrees from “Professional Degree” Definition
Discover the new results and implications of Dept of Ed consensus regarding professional degree programs and public health education.
aspph.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:23 AM
This is designed to tank public health & primary care by excluding public health professions, advanced nursing practice, physical & occupational therapy from loans that can cover the cost of education. This is going to make an existing workforce crisis worse.
aspph.org/department-o...
aspph.org/department-o...
Reposted by David Scales
It's that time again.
For the next 24 hours, drop any infectious disease and/or vaccine-related questions below in response to this post, and I will do my best to answer them. Responses are for information only and are NOT medical advice.
#AskAnIDDoc November 2025 edition.
For the next 24 hours, drop any infectious disease and/or vaccine-related questions below in response to this post, and I will do my best to answer them. Responses are for information only and are NOT medical advice.
#AskAnIDDoc November 2025 edition.
a man is standing in a kitchen drinking from a cup and talking about flu season .
ALT: a man is standing in a kitchen drinking from a cup and talking about flu season .
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:25 PM
It's that time again.
For the next 24 hours, drop any infectious disease and/or vaccine-related questions below in response to this post, and I will do my best to answer them. Responses are for information only and are NOT medical advice.
#AskAnIDDoc November 2025 edition.
For the next 24 hours, drop any infectious disease and/or vaccine-related questions below in response to this post, and I will do my best to answer them. Responses are for information only and are NOT medical advice.
#AskAnIDDoc November 2025 edition.
Reposted by David Scales
"We looked into the public awareness of this story we're actively suppressing and the data suggests we're suppressing it."
November 14, 2025 at 10:27 AM
"We looked into the public awareness of this story we're actively suppressing and the data suggests we're suppressing it."
Reposted by David Scales
Malicious compliance is a tragically underused tool of resistance.
If you have tenure at Texas A&M and aren't maliciously emailing the president a dozen times every day to ask if you can say this or you can say that, then what's the point in having tenure?
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Malicious compliance is a tragically underused tool of resistance.
Reposted by David Scales
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Right-Wing Attack on Wikipedia
The free internet encyclopedia is widely used to train AI. That’s why conservatives are trying to dethrone it.
www.theatlantic.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by David Scales
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Reposted by David Scales
Propaganda does not rely entirely on unassailable evidence and impeccable logic to discipline its targets. Neither can the response, writes Calum Matheson, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh.
Scholars Must Recognize the Role of Affect and Emotion in Disinformation | TechPolicy.Press
The tactics of digital emotional manipulation are many and varied, but many of the most prominent exploit frustration and rage, writes Calum Matheson.
www.techpolicy.press
November 11, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Propaganda does not rely entirely on unassailable evidence and impeccable logic to discipline its targets. Neither can the response, writes Calum Matheson, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh.
Reposted by David Scales
Over the last 10 months, the federal government has cracked down on political expression with a persistence and viciousness reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of U.S. history. Welcome to the Third Red Scare.
The First Amendment Won’t Go Quietly
Welcome to the third Red Scare.
www.theatlantic.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Over the last 10 months, the federal government has cracked down on political expression with a persistence and viciousness reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of U.S. history. Welcome to the Third Red Scare.
Reposted by David Scales
we need to protect both the independent, expert creation of evidence and information *and* the communication of it by independent, non-partisan, media organisations.
christinapagel.substack.com/p/informatio...
christinapagel.substack.com/p/informatio...
November 11, 2025 at 10:56 AM
we need to protect both the independent, expert creation of evidence and information *and* the communication of it by independent, non-partisan, media organisations.
christinapagel.substack.com/p/informatio...
christinapagel.substack.com/p/informatio...
Reposted by David Scales
The most trusted news source in the US is The Weather Channel. The second most trusted is the BBC.
November 11, 2025 at 11:04 AM
The most trusted news source in the US is The Weather Channel. The second most trusted is the BBC.