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Bad Conspiracy Theories: The Bad, The Worse And The Ugliest
Tuesday 2 June 2020
 Leigh Washburn |
Bad conspiracy theories: The bad, the worse and the ugliest
A recent BBC report (https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52731624) graphically describes the consequences of unchecked propagation of mis- and disinformation about SARS-Cov-2: The hospitalized couple, one near death, in Florida, believing it was a hoax; violence against Muslims in India; people swallowing fish tank cleaner, disinfectants, or toxic alcohol; and the worst and most common — those waiting too long to seek help because they thought the hazards were “overblown” (https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them).
Conspiracy theories are more than just distracting. Deciding who to trust isn’t easy, but it’s possible — and essential. Ask who’s talking. What’s their background, their reputation? Are they writing for a known outlet? Is the piece sensationalist? Contradictory? Do reporters interview multiple people — actual experts — vet sources, fact-check, question inconsistencies (The Conspiracy Theory Handbook; Yahoo News, 05/22/20; Forbes, 05/08/20; Atlantic, 03/21/20; Lifehacker, 05/08/20)?
The most recent, and arguably worst, is the slick “documentary”, “Plandemic,” which looks and feels credible but doesn’t hold up under careful scrutiny. It’s been fact-checked by several experts (Science, 05/08/20; factcheck.org, 05/08/20; https://respectfulinsolence.com/2020/05/06/judy-mikovits-pandemic/; NPR;05/08/20). Too much is just — off.
Its sole interviewee, Judy Mikovits, is introduced as “one of the most accomplished scientists of her generation.” So who is she? She earned a BS in chemistry in 1980, worked as a lab technician until 1988, got her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology in 1991, then apparently held postdoctoral positions until 2006, when she was tapped to head a new private institute founded by the Whittemore family to look for a viral cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). First red flag — she was apparently a lab tech or a postdoc for more than 20 years, all that time working on other investigators’ projects under their supervision. She was never an independent researcher (respectfulinsolence.com., 05/06/20).
Her inexperience caught up with her. An article in the prestigious journal Science, in which she claimed to have discovered a CFS-related virus, was retracted because blood samples were contaminated (Science, 12/23/11). She lost her job and was ultimately arrested (NOT by SWAT) for stealing lab notebooks and other data. Those charges were eventually dropped although the institute won a civil suit.
She makes vague claims that Anthony Fauci blocked publication of some work she did as a technician (implausible); that her research on HIV was instrumental in developing treatments (unverified); and that Fauci and “Big Pharma” destroyed her career, without explaining how.
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