Viral BS : medical myths and why we fall for them Cover Image

Book

Viral BS : medical myths and why we fall for them

Yasmin, Seema 1982- (author.).

Summary: "This book dissects medical myths and pseudoscience and explores how misinformation can spread faster than microbes. Yasmin debunks public health myths ranging from the spurious link between vaccines and autism to the truth about so-called chemtrails left behind by airplanes. In short chapters covering popular myths, Yasmin parses the science behind fearful rumors and models how to be a more informed consumer of health news"--

Record details

ISBN: 9781421440408
ISBN: 1421440407
ISBN: 9781421440415
Physical Description: print
263 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021.
Copyright: ©2021

Content descriptions

General Note:

Includes index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Do the flat tummy detox teas touted by Instagram celebrities actually work? -- Should you eat your baby's placenta? -- Do vaccines cause autism? -- Can autism be cured? -- Are children being paralyzed by the common cold virus? -- Do we inherit trauma from our parents? -- Are genetically modified foods safe? -- How long can you eat leftovers? -- Is MSG addictive? -- Is drinking diet soda linked to Alzheimer's disease and stroke? -- Do mammograms cause more problems than they detect? -- Is it dangerous to be pregnant in America? -- The raging statin debate: Should you take a cholesterol-lowering drug? -- Does aspirin prevent cancer? -- Did the maker of aspirin test medicines in Nazi concentration camps? -- Does the birth control pill cause depression? -- Do vitamin D supplements protect against obesity, cancer and pneumonia? -- Will fish oil supplements prevent heart disease or give you cancer? -- Are heartburn medicines linked to a serious gut infection? -- Were dietary supplements linked to a deadly outbreak of hepatitis? -- Can gay and bisexual men donate blood? -- Are e-cigarettes helpful or harmful? -- Is marijuana a performance enhancing drug for athletes? -- Did a morning sickness pill for pregnant women cause birth defects in thousands of babies? -- Is there lead in your lipstick? -- Why do immigrants in America live longer than American-born people? -- Has the US government banned research about gun violence? -- The Frackademic Scandal: Did oil and gas companies pay academies to say fracking was safe? -- Does playing American football give players brain damage? -- Did the US government infect people with syphilis and gonorrhea? -- Does talcum powder cause ovarian cancer? -- Does infection with Ebola cause lifelong symptoms? -- Are older adults at higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections? -- Did genetically modified mosquitoes spread Zika, and does the virus cause birth defects? -- Can your cat's poop make you better at business? -- Is suicide contagious? -- Are suicide rates linked to the economy? -- Are there more suicides during the holiday season? -- Are you more likely to die from a medical mistake than a car crash? -- Is it dangerous to go to the hospital in July? -- Do patients cared for by female doctors live longer? -- Can a pill make racists less racist? -- Are airplane condensation trails, aka chemtrails, bad for your health? -- Do bad teeth cause heart disease? -- Can your zip code predict when you will die? -- Does debunking a myth help it spread?