EDMONTON'S MYTH-BUSTER
Timothy Caulfield uses science to fight what worries us
We're often on autopilot when it comes to tens of thousands of decisions we make every day, from taking our vitamins, bingeing our TV, to that great debate over whether to leave the toilet seat up or down as we depart the throne.
Still, some of these decisions came from a certain place of stress: Have I washed my hands properly? Am I a monster mother if I let my child walk to school alone? Have I missed anything in the 15 seconds since I last checked my phone?
And it's here that Edmonton's Timothy Caulfield — myth-busting host of Netflix's The User's Guide to Cheating Death — decided to step in and write his terrifically jaunty new book, Relax, Dammit: A User's Guide to the Age of Anxiety.
In the very clever format of walking us hour by hour through a typical day's choices — to step on that scale; to try for a better parking spot; to have that fifth coffee, and with raw milk or no — Caulfield considers each choice in the context of the most thorough science available. Flossing, it turns out, is insignificant compared to fluoride. Most people who brag about multitasking skills? Totally wrong, when tested. And, even bingeing a TV series, that great pandemic respite, results in diminished recall of what actually happened in the show.
Speaking of COVID-19, as Caulfield wrote his book before it hit, he felt he had to revisit it to see if it still resonated — especially as he's been working with Canadian Institutes of Health Research to help counter misinformation and conspiracy theories. “We're actually doing research in this space,” he explains, “and I went back and found, if anything, I think the themes have become more relevant.”
Over a long and lively conversation with the author of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? and The Vaccination Picture, the University of Alberta law professor explains what he was going for, and how the pandemic makes an understanding of how science works more crucial than ever.
Q I think the title is actually really funny, you're sort of yelling to be calm …
A You're like the only person who's noted that (laughs). It's a little bit of a Trojan horse. The goal is to use something provocative as an entry point to talk about something serious, like the impact of misinformation, which I think is one of the defining characteristics of our time. I hope it's a fun way to relate those bigger issues. These are things that impact all of us, hopefully it's not preachy. The other thing with the title: I'm ranting in the book, I'm not being relaxed, so I totally get it.
Q What would be your hope for someone who reads it?
A I've been fascinated with misinformation and the way science and research is twisted in pop culture. I wanted to get a sense of how those forces impacted our daily decisions. So I do hope the book offers people a way forward, through the noise. Look, I recognize everyone doesn't make every decision based on science — I don't order my coffee based on what the science says — but being aware of what forces are in play can be liberating.
Q What proves something is true, can you take us all the way down to an elementary school level and explain basic science? A People think it's this really difficult skill set and it's not. One thing is just to get a sense of what kind of evidence is being used to support something. Is this being based on a testimonial? That's not good evidence. Is this being supported using one study? A small study? An animal study? Is someone selling you something? Always ask yourself, ` What's the body of evidence?' What's happening with COVID, around the mask debate, we're seeing that happen. We're watching the evolution of science unfold — we're starting to get this rich body of evidence that tells us they're effective. We know how to stop this pandemic: physical distancing, masks, washing your hands, getting the vaccine when it comes. Almost everything else is noise. But there are all these cultural forces trying to create this fear and anxiety. I hope I give a few suggestions on how to navigate that noise.
Q What would you say is your most controversial assertion in the book?
A When I was writing it, one of the topics that got the most anger was toilet seat up or down. But what's getting the most discussion is letting your kids walk to school. And the one I've gotten nasty hate mail, people telling me I'm murdering people, is the supplement haiku. People are just all in. It's a huge industry.
Q Can you talk about how social media encourages us to see ourselves as brands, and how that might negatively affect the health choices we make in a sort if tribal sense? You get an endorphin rush if you pick a side and start fighting online.
A You're right, and I just submitted a piece on how personal iden
tity is becoming a bigger part of our decision making. And people who push this information are increasingly playing on it. So with raw milk, for example, they frame it as food freedom or choice. And we're starting to see that with anti-vaxxers — it's about consent or freedom or liberty, and that might appeal to your tribe. So that's your entry point, and all those cognitive biases come into play. You get on social media and the lack of science becomes more irrelevant. It's more about being part of this community. So to fight misinformation, you want to debunk it before it becomes an ideological flag.
Q Talk about how the opinions of celebrities can cause harm. A Their megaphone is big. Oxford did a study, early days of the pandemic, that said 20% of the misinformation is spread online comes from prominent individuals. If they're sharing it, we're more likely to share it. We're also more likely to remember it. They're attractive and prominent and they're walking, talking anecdotes, and we know an anecdote can overwhelm scientific thinking. And they're telling compelling stories.
Q Can you, as an advocate of science, talk about how you might hope people apply the same scrutiny to anything you say is real, and how that's actually the basic deal with good science?
A I hear this from audiences, ` Why shouldn't I be skeptical of you?' People should apply those scientific principles. In the book you'll notice a lot of the conclusions are not, `this works and this doesn't work.' A lot of the conclusions are that the evidence is way messier than portrayed in popular culture. Therefore, don't get too anxious about your decision, we're still trying to figure this out. And people don't like that. They want a complete, finished narrative with a definitive conclusion. But we have to embrace uncertainty.