Podcast: Can Everything Kill My Kids? Combating Viral Pseudoscience with Dr. Jess Steier

By Cameron English and Ana Marija Dolaskie
Pesticides, Girl Scout cookies, food additives, and more—the list of allegedly harmful chemicals feels endless. And so does the army of influencers happily deceiving us about them, fueled by algorithms that serve up fear-laced content for maximum clicks. Given those odds, how can scientists cut through the nonsense proliferating online?
Image: Unbiased Science

Dr. Jess Steier, founder of Unbiased Science, joins Ana and Cam on this episode to break down her most effective misinfo-fighting techniques. In a digital ecosystem where experts are often drowned out by health gurus pushing supplements and e-books, Dr. Steier has built a massive audience of curious consumers seeking science-based answers—attracting more than 350,000 followers on Instagram alone.

How do you communicate a nuanced scientific perspective on hot-button issues like COVID or nicotine vaping? And how do scientists balance the willingness to change their minds (a core part of the job) with confidently defending vaccines, GMOs, and other proven innovations? Join us on this episode of the show to find out.

Listen to the Science Dispatch on iTunes Spotify, Stitcher and Google Podcasts. Or add the RSS feed to your favorite podcast app. Join our Dispatch newsletter to get these stories and more delivered to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter