How to spot fake science news

Can non-scientists tell whether a science news item is credible or fake?

Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks for a quarter century and a regular contributor CBC TV’s The National, was at Algoma University today to kick off its new four-year Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program.

Holder of eight honorary doctorates from Canadian universities, the popular broadcaster and author took time with SooToday to address the issue of fake scientific news.

"I'm concerned about that, about this whole idea," he said. "It's so easy for anybody to have an opinion and put out their agenda, whether it's a corporate agenda or a religious agenda or a political agenda, and make it look like science."

"That's why I think there's now a challenge before the scientific community to speak up about that, and have a forum to speak convincingly to the public."

McDonald told us there are ways to separate the wheat from the chaff in science reporting.

"One is to check the source and see what it is. If it's a so-and-so institute, anybody can start an institute and put themselves in it as the president and even give themselves a degree. Do a little search on what that institute is. If it's coming from a university, you can be pretty sure it's going to be good."

"Another flag, to me, is when you see a statement that says: 'well, I believe.' Or 'we believe.' Belief is not how science works."

"Science is based on evidence that builds towards facts and maybe will get to dogma. But that's a long way to go. And it's open-ended. So you don't say we believe this. You say this is what we know so far. That's the scientific method. If somebody says they have all the answers, or if they say something like 'God did it,' that's belief."

"Anyone is entitled to their belief, but it's not science. Science doesn't ask the question why. Science asks the question how. It's purely mechanical. How do things work? We don't know a whole lot about the universe. It's an ongoing process. So if it's from some obscure institute and it's somebody with an opinion, that's not necessarily science."

The climate-deniers

"The problem with a lot of these fake news [sites] is they're very good at it," McDonald says.

He cites climate-deniers as examples.

"They were well funded. They were well spoken. And they were very good at manipulating information to make it look like there was doubt in the scientific community. There's always uncertainty in science, but they would capitalize on that and confuse the public."

"Their only purpose was not to make people say climate change isn't real, it was to delay the process. They made it look like there was a debate in science. There isn't. There's a scientific community that has no debate about climate science, then these opinion people on the other side who are not necessarily qualified, saying we don't agree with that. 'I've got a Ph.D over here who doesn't agree.' It was manipulation of the public mind, putting doubt in the public mind."

"It was like the O.J. Simpson trial. What got him off? Reasonable doubt. It wasn't whether he did it. That was no longer the issue. It was reasonable doubt."

"So the climate deniers took advantage of that. They placed doubt in the public mind, They were selective about the data that they used. And they used name-calling. They tried to use scandal: 'these people are all crazy scientists.' That was effective."

"And the scientific community didn't respond to that.... Scientists aren't in that business. They're not marketers. So maybe we need a little more marketing of science."

Do we need a Snopes to debunk dubious science news?

"Maybe we do. I don't know. On our show, we let the science itself stand. We don't editorialise. We just let it stand on its own."

Donald John Trump, 45th president of the United States

What grade does McDonald give the new U.S. president on science issues?

"Maybe a D at this point? Mostly on environmental science. But give it time, that's just the president. He can only say this is what I want, but it still has to go through Congress and the Senate. So we'll see whether common sense prevails down at those levels before this stuff actually becomes law."

"Right at the moment we have a showman as president of the United States who is manipulating the media with his tweets. He can say anything and everybody goes crazy about it. That's not politics. He's not behaving like a politician. He's behaving like a dictator. I'm hoping that the system in place will make common sense and a true democracy proceed."

"They haven't been very good to environmental science. They have a person, Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who sued the Environmental Protection Agency 14 times over regulations that were against pollution, mostly against the fossil-fuel industry. He's from Oklahoma. So now he's the head of it. The new budget has already put cuts there. Scott Pruitt was asked directly: do you believe carbon is responsible for global warning? He said no, he doesn't. This guy's the head of the Environmental Protection Agency? What's going on there?"

"Just recently in the NASA budget, they cut the education department and they cut a number of upcoming satellite missions that were looking at the planet, looking at atmosphere of the Earth. They've been cut."

"So there's blinding that's going on right now. There's a closing of the mind. This idea of building a wall, it's the closing of the American mind that really bothers me when we have a globalisation happening. Environment is a global problem. If you have that kind of blinkers on, not wanting to look at the problem, and just get on with business as usual, make America great again which is an industrial giant, then that's dangerous. I'm concerned about that."

McDonald still sees a potential silver lining, for places like Algoma U with its new environmental science program.

"I think this is an opportunity for Canada. We can import some American scientists who are no longer either employed or happy with their situation. We're in a position now to export our brain power that we have here to come up with some innovative solutions to climate change. Not only do environmental science here, which we're really good at, but do the research on alternative technologies and alternative energy. Forget what the Americans are doing. Why don't we lead the world in that? We've got the brain power here to do that."

Algoma University issued the following statement today about Bob McDonald's visit:

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CBC’s Bob McDonald headlines environmental science launch

(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – March 27, 2017): Today, Algoma University welcomed the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, Bob McDonald to campus to celebrate the launch of the new four-year Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program.

Bob McDonald is the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, an award-winning science program that is heard by over 500,000 people weekly.

McDonald is also a regular on CBC TV’s The National and host of the children’s series Head’s Up.

As a writer, he has authored four bes-selling science books and has recently published his latest book Canadian Space Walkers: Hadfield, MacLean and Williams Remember the Ultimate High Adventure.

For his contributions in promoting science in Canada, McDonald has been awarded the Order of Canada and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, among others.

In 2008, he won a Gemini Award for “Best Host in a Pre-School, Children’s or Youth Program or Series”.

“We are thrilled to have Bob McDonald on campus to help us mark the launch of our new environmental science program,” said Dr. Celia Ross, Algoma University’s acting president and vice chancellor.

“Environmental science is in high demand across the province as young people turn to this field of study to help solve the current problems facing humanity. Bob McDonald is a lead communicator for scientific and environmental research and he will raise excitement locally about studying in this crucial field.”

While on campus, McDonald toured the University’s Essar Convergence Centre, which boasts state-of-the-art laboratories where course work will be completed by students in the new program.

He delivered an hour keynote address to approximately 500 students from across Sault Ste. Marie, titled Perspectives on a Planet.

“Planets are everywhere. It looks like every star in our galaxy has planets, and while many of them could be warm enough to support life, we have yet to find another Earth. Through a cosmic journey to those other worlds, we will see how rare the Earth is, and why environmental science is so vitally important,” McDonald said following the keynote.

Later, McDonald spoke with media and various community partners at a launch party in The Speakeasy.

In February, Algoma U received ministerial consent to offer an environmental science program with courses beginning as early as September of 2017.

The new program is interdisciplinary in nature, integrating courses in biology, chemistry, and geography.

Students enrolled in the program will develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to contribute solutions to the current environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century.

Subject areas include, but are not limited to: the spread and threat of invasive species, the continued loss of biodiversity and degradation of agricultural soil quality and availability, and other environmental changes.

Students will complete an 80-hour internship and a thesis in their upper years.

For more information on the environmental science program or to apply, please visit www.algomau.ca/environmental-science.

About Algoma University

Algoma University was established in 1965 and is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Algoma University is a small, undergraduate, teaching-focused university that places an emphasis on serving the needs of Northern Ontario. Algoma University offers a wide range of degrees spanning the liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines.  As a partner with Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, Algoma University has a special mission to cultivate cross-cultural learning between Aboriginal populations and other communities. Algoma University also offers satellite programming in Brampton and Timmins. For more information, please visit www.algomau.ca.

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