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A cancer diagnosis is frightening enough as it is, but these days, dealing with the disease also means dealing with the explosion of misinformation swirling online about treatment, doctors and risks. There are social media accounts profiting from telling people that doctors want to harm them or that chemotherapy makes cancer worse. An analysis of what makes such messaging so effective has clarified that by targeting the very human fear of loss, cancer
misinformation spreaders are able to have a greater impact than the people who are genuinely better positioned to help. The good news is, you can train yourself to spot poor quality information online.
The murder of US political activist Charlie Kirk this week has been devastating both for his supporters and his opponents. The loss of a divisive figure risks further destabilising an already polarised nation. Even Kirk’s allies don’t always see eye to eye on what he stood for. Was his Christian nationalism his overriding motivation for debating students or was he first and foremost a proponent of free speech and reasoned discussion? It’s hardly reassuring that
even those on the same side can’t agree.
As the UK prepares to receive president Donald Trump for a state visit next week, it does so without an ambassador in Washington. Peter Mandelson has been fired after damaging revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light. But while Mandelson is gone, the story is far from over for Keir Starmer, who is once again facing questions over his judgement. Whether or not he knew how deep Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein ran, it was always a
risky decision to appoint a man who was already calling himself a “professional villain” in the weeks running up to his downfall.
Also this week, seven compelling health reasons to stop using your phone on the toilet, two Jane Austen books you rarely see turned into films and one three-minute test that can help identify memory issues of concern for those at risk of Alzheimer’s.
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