Jonathan Jarry
@jonathanjarry.bsky.social
Science communicator with McGill University's Office for Science and Society. Separating sense from nonsense. Not all studies are created equal. McGill.ca/OSS
Quite a few of us were warning people about Vinay Prasad before it was cool. He might have looked like a respectable physician driven by an EBM mindset, but he was a COVID anti-vaxxer fuelled by a contrarian streak.
The "respectable" ones may be the most dangerous in terms of public health.
The "respectable" ones may be the most dangerous in terms of public health.
BREAKING: @lizzylawrence.bsky.social reports that CBER director Vinay Prasad overruled career #FDA staff and unilaterally decided to refusal to accept #Moderna 's #flu vaccine submission. www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...
February 11, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Quite a few of us were warning people about Vinay Prasad before it was cool. He might have looked like a respectable physician driven by an EBM mindset, but he was a COVID anti-vaxxer fuelled by a contrarian streak.
The "respectable" ones may be the most dangerous in terms of public health.
The "respectable" ones may be the most dangerous in terms of public health.
Missed this a few weeks ago but RFK Jr is now on the carnivore diet: all steaks, all the time (mostly).
Why?
Probably because of the Petersons.
www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...
Why?
Probably because of the Petersons.
www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...
RFK Jr. only eats meat, fermented foods. The carnivore diet, explained.
“I only eat meat or fermented foods,” the health secretary told USA TODAY's Extremely Normal show. Here's what experts say about the diet.
www.usatoday.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Missed this a few weeks ago but RFK Jr is now on the carnivore diet: all steaks, all the time (mostly).
Why?
Probably because of the Petersons.
www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...
Why?
Probably because of the Petersons.
www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...
Reposted by Jonathan Jarry
A shooting at a school in British Columbia left eight dead including the suspect, with two more people found dead at a home believed to be connected.
10 dead in shootings at school and home in northeastern British Columbia
Canadian police say eight people including the suspect are dead after a shooting at a school in British Columbia, with two more people found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident.
bit.ly
February 11, 2026 at 2:57 AM
A shooting at a school in British Columbia left eight dead including the suspect, with two more people found dead at a home believed to be connected.
What are next? Oh, look: it's a remake of an already awesome movie that has the most depressing ending ever.
Oh, and it also got made as a TV show.
Let's remake it!!
deadline.com/2026/02/step...
Oh, and it also got made as a TV show.
Let's remake it!!
deadline.com/2026/02/step...
Mike Flanagan & Stephen King Back In Business With ‘The Mist’ Movie For Warner Bros
Warner Bros is reuniting frequent collaborators Mike Flanagan and Stephen King on a new adaptation of The Mist, based on King's 1980 novella.
deadline.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:08 AM
What are next? Oh, look: it's a remake of an already awesome movie that has the most depressing ending ever.
Oh, and it also got made as a TV show.
Let's remake it!!
deadline.com/2026/02/step...
Oh, and it also got made as a TV show.
Let's remake it!!
deadline.com/2026/02/step...
Ladybird is available to any aspiring drummer.
This is Ladybird. She's politely requesting butt pats. Will accept them for as long as you're willing to provide them. Could be days. Weeks even. 13/10 (TT: christina.stamper5)
February 10, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Ladybird is available to any aspiring drummer.
One of the best sf shows ever made, Babylon 5, is being released on YouTube by Beyond Infinity in collab w/ WB. And it's upscaled!
One ep every few days.
Seasons 3-4 are masterpieces, but if you've never seen the show, you can start now!
youtu.be/Y235YEQstLo?...
One ep every few days.
Seasons 3-4 are masterpieces, but if you've never seen the show, you can start now!
youtu.be/Y235YEQstLo?...
Babylon 5 | Full Episode | The Gathering: Season 1, Episode 1 | Beyond Infinity
YouTube video by ClipZone: Beyond Infinity
youtu.be
February 10, 2026 at 11:17 PM
One of the best sf shows ever made, Babylon 5, is being released on YouTube by Beyond Infinity in collab w/ WB. And it's upscaled!
One ep every few days.
Seasons 3-4 are masterpieces, but if you've never seen the show, you can start now!
youtu.be/Y235YEQstLo?...
One ep every few days.
Seasons 3-4 are masterpieces, but if you've never seen the show, you can start now!
youtu.be/Y235YEQstLo?...
Massive new study on cancer.
38% = avoidable causes
#1 Smoking
#2 Infections
#3 Alcohol
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
38% = avoidable causes
#1 Smoking
#2 Infections
#3 Alcohol
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
More than one-third of cancer cases are preventable, massive study finds
Many cancers are linked to two modifiable habits: tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.
www.nature.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Massive new study on cancer.
38% = avoidable causes
#1 Smoking
#2 Infections
#3 Alcohol
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
38% = avoidable causes
#1 Smoking
#2 Infections
#3 Alcohol
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
SMH. Acupressure vs. FAKE acupressure on cancer-related fatigue. Both lower fatigue scores roughly the same.
Conclusion? Acupressure works! Maybe the sham one also stimulated the same nerves somehow!
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Conclusion? Acupressure works! Maybe the sham one also stimulated the same nerves somehow!
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Self-Acupressure for Fatigue in Patients Surviving Ovarian Cancer
This randomized clinical trial investigates whether true self-acupressure, learned through a mobile app, improves cancer-related fatigue in women surviving ovarian cancer compared with sham self-acupr...
jamanetwork.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:07 PM
SMH. Acupressure vs. FAKE acupressure on cancer-related fatigue. Both lower fatigue scores roughly the same.
Conclusion? Acupressure works! Maybe the sham one also stimulated the same nerves somehow!
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Conclusion? Acupressure works! Maybe the sham one also stimulated the same nerves somehow!
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
I’m not a fan of AI in general: overhyped, built on stolen data, etc.
But it has its uses. If I am to believe multiple trials and @erictopol.bsky.social (who does fantastic work), radiologists find more breast cancer when aided with AI.
open.substack.com/pub/erictopo...
But it has its uses. If I am to believe multiple trials and @erictopol.bsky.social (who does fantastic work), radiologists find more breast cancer when aided with AI.
open.substack.com/pub/erictopo...
Why All Mammograms Should Incorporate A.I.
A very impressive body of evidence has accumulated
open.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:56 PM
I’m not a fan of AI in general: overhyped, built on stolen data, etc.
But it has its uses. If I am to believe multiple trials and @erictopol.bsky.social (who does fantastic work), radiologists find more breast cancer when aided with AI.
open.substack.com/pub/erictopo...
But it has its uses. If I am to believe multiple trials and @erictopol.bsky.social (who does fantastic work), radiologists find more breast cancer when aided with AI.
open.substack.com/pub/erictopo...
"These framing choices have been criticized by many on social media as condescending and misleading, minimizing the very serious risks of COVID-19 and other pathogens that can cause long-term illness and disability."
thesicktimes.org/2026/02/10/w...
thesicktimes.org/2026/02/10/w...
Winter Olympic athletes are rightfully taking COVID-19 precautions - The Sick Times
Despite a lack of COVID-19 precautions implemented by the 2026 Winter Olympics organizers in Italy, some athletes, teams, and their loved ones are protecting themselves from airborne pathogens by mask...
thesicktimes.org
February 10, 2026 at 8:41 PM
"These framing choices have been criticized by many on social media as condescending and misleading, minimizing the very serious risks of COVID-19 and other pathogens that can cause long-term illness and disability."
thesicktimes.org/2026/02/10/w...
thesicktimes.org/2026/02/10/w...
Unblinded trial of spinal manipulations (chiro or PT) in people with low back pain (notoriously hard to treat).
Compared to medical care, no diff in pain over 1 year, no add’al benefits, no difference re: disability and pain.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Compared to medical care, no diff in pain over 1 year, no add’al benefits, no difference re: disability and pain.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Spinal Manipulation and Clinician-Supported Biopsychosocial Self-Management for Acute Back Pain
This randomized clinical trial examines the efficacy of spinal manipulation therapy combined with clinician-supported self-management vs guideline-directed medical care in patients with acute or subac...
jamanetwork.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Unblinded trial of spinal manipulations (chiro or PT) in people with low back pain (notoriously hard to treat).
Compared to medical care, no diff in pain over 1 year, no add’al benefits, no difference re: disability and pain.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Compared to medical care, no diff in pain over 1 year, no add’al benefits, no difference re: disability and pain.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Matt Nelson, who became famous for giving dogs ratings of 11/10 and above, is more clear-eyed about politics than most Democrats in office.
February 10, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Matt Nelson, who became famous for giving dogs ratings of 11/10 and above, is more clear-eyed about politics than most Democrats in office.
For those of you who miss when Doctor Who was, uh, very good (don't come at me!!), check out the live-action One Piece.
Season 2 looks like it'll be a blast.
youtu.be/S-XxKVxZ2fU?...
Season 2 looks like it'll be a blast.
youtu.be/S-XxKVxZ2fU?...
ONE PIECE: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix
YouTube video by Netflix
youtu.be
February 10, 2026 at 6:11 PM
For those of you who miss when Doctor Who was, uh, very good (don't come at me!!), check out the live-action One Piece.
Season 2 looks like it'll be a blast.
youtu.be/S-XxKVxZ2fU?...
Season 2 looks like it'll be a blast.
youtu.be/S-XxKVxZ2fU?...
The enshittification of Tubi has begun.
My entire saved library has been wiped because now you need to create a (free) account to have this privilege. No warning. Just gone.
And so it begins….
My entire saved library has been wiped because now you need to create a (free) account to have this privilege. No warning. Just gone.
And so it begins….
February 10, 2026 at 6:04 PM
The enshittification of Tubi has begun.
My entire saved library has been wiped because now you need to create a (free) account to have this privilege. No warning. Just gone.
And so it begins….
My entire saved library has been wiped because now you need to create a (free) account to have this privilege. No warning. Just gone.
And so it begins….
The main YouTube feed for me is almost completely useless now.
Very few videos are recommended; instead, it's a ton of music (I have YouTube Music), podcasts, and mixes.
I'm actually trying to find interesting videos and I can't anymore.
Very few videos are recommended; instead, it's a ton of music (I have YouTube Music), podcasts, and mixes.
I'm actually trying to find interesting videos and I can't anymore.
February 10, 2026 at 1:35 AM
The main YouTube feed for me is almost completely useless now.
Very few videos are recommended; instead, it's a ton of music (I have YouTube Music), podcasts, and mixes.
I'm actually trying to find interesting videos and I can't anymore.
Very few videos are recommended; instead, it's a ton of music (I have YouTube Music), podcasts, and mixes.
I'm actually trying to find interesting videos and I can't anymore.
The U.S. regime's official nutrition website, RealFood.gov, has Grok integrated into it so that you can ask Elon Musk's artificial "intelligence" for meal advice.
This is what RFK Jr is delivering to the people: error-prone garbage, not gold-star science.
h/t @builduprdns.bsky.social
This is what RFK Jr is delivering to the people: error-prone garbage, not gold-star science.
h/t @builduprdns.bsky.social
February 9, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The U.S. regime's official nutrition website, RealFood.gov, has Grok integrated into it so that you can ask Elon Musk's artificial "intelligence" for meal advice.
This is what RFK Jr is delivering to the people: error-prone garbage, not gold-star science.
h/t @builduprdns.bsky.social
This is what RFK Jr is delivering to the people: error-prone garbage, not gold-star science.
h/t @builduprdns.bsky.social
From The Lancet, 1889: "I will simply say that after the first days of my experiments I have had a greater improvement with regard to the expulsion of fecal matters than any other function."
What is this elixir of defecation?
Tune in on Friday for my @mcgilloss.bsky.social article! :D
What is this elixir of defecation?
Tune in on Friday for my @mcgilloss.bsky.social article! :D
February 9, 2026 at 9:00 PM
From The Lancet, 1889: "I will simply say that after the first days of my experiments I have had a greater improvement with regard to the expulsion of fecal matters than any other function."
What is this elixir of defecation?
Tune in on Friday for my @mcgilloss.bsky.social article! :D
What is this elixir of defecation?
Tune in on Friday for my @mcgilloss.bsky.social article! :D
Breaking News: My Brother's Latest Work Is Awesome!
February 6, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Breaking News: My Brother's Latest Work Is Awesome!
I will be on CTV Montreal News around 6:20PM ET tonight to talk about Dr. Michael Greger's vegan bias and also: why should I be trusted? Why should any science communicator be trusted?
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
Dr. Michael Greger’s Bias Is Food for Thought
How can we distinguish between a sufficiently objective science communicator and an advocate? Communicating science to the public means choosing scientific papers, reading them, and appraising their w...
www.mcgill.ca
February 6, 2026 at 10:49 PM
I will be on CTV Montreal News around 6:20PM ET tonight to talk about Dr. Michael Greger's vegan bias and also: why should I be trusted? Why should any science communicator be trusted?
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
Reposted by Jonathan Jarry
A fascinating “fox terrier clone” case! And an excellent illustration of why real research takes *fucking forever* (and sometimes simply fails) while lazy “research” is easy and rewarding—just cite some reputable-looking tertiary source and voila, you get to include a fun-to-read anecdote for free
In case you missed it, the idea--widely repeated in the medical literature--that Henry Beecher was the first to substitute saline for morphine while treating soldiers in WWII keeps hitting a wall.
We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
The Placebo Myth Picked the Wrong War
There’s a medical myth with which a friend of mine and I have become obsessed: this idea that scientific research into the “placebo effect” began in earnest during World War II. As I’ve written before...
www.mcgill.ca
February 6, 2026 at 8:04 PM
A fascinating “fox terrier clone” case! And an excellent illustration of why real research takes *fucking forever* (and sometimes simply fails) while lazy “research” is easy and rewarding—just cite some reputable-looking tertiary source and voila, you get to include a fun-to-read anecdote for free
In case you missed it, the idea--widely repeated in the medical literature--that Henry Beecher was the first to substitute saline for morphine while treating soldiers in WWII keeps hitting a wall.
We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
The Placebo Myth Picked the Wrong War
There’s a medical myth with which a friend of mine and I have become obsessed: this idea that scientific research into the “placebo effect” began in earnest during World War II. As I’ve written before...
www.mcgill.ca
February 6, 2026 at 7:47 PM
In case you missed it, the idea--widely repeated in the medical literature--that Henry Beecher was the first to substitute saline for morphine while treating soldiers in WWII keeps hitting a wall.
We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
We now know a Jesuit nightwatchman witnessed this... in WWI.
www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...
TIL that Wuthering Heights' canonical French title, Les Hauts de Hurlevent, is apparently copyrighted to a 1925 translator, so subsequent editions must use different titles.
E.g. (my translation) The House of the Damned Winds, The Tormented Heights, Castle of Storms, Bitter Mountain Bitter Wind.
E.g. (my translation) The House of the Damned Winds, The Tormented Heights, Castle of Storms, Bitter Mountain Bitter Wind.
February 6, 2026 at 6:53 PM
TIL that Wuthering Heights' canonical French title, Les Hauts de Hurlevent, is apparently copyrighted to a 1925 translator, so subsequent editions must use different titles.
E.g. (my translation) The House of the Damned Winds, The Tormented Heights, Castle of Storms, Bitter Mountain Bitter Wind.
E.g. (my translation) The House of the Damned Winds, The Tormented Heights, Castle of Storms, Bitter Mountain Bitter Wind.
Reposted by Jonathan Jarry
I worry that folks don’t realize just how normalized this stuff is on the right at this point. Southern strategy is done, we’re back to people openly defending overt racism, and have been for a while. I think the self-denial is strong for those whose jobs depend on pretending it ain’t so.
President Donald Trump went on a wild social media posting spree late Thursday night and into Friday morning, one that included a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
Trump Posts Wildly Racist Video of the Obamas
Donald Trump posted a video that included a clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, set to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
www.rollingstone.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:43 PM
I worry that folks don’t realize just how normalized this stuff is on the right at this point. Southern strategy is done, we’re back to people openly defending overt racism, and have been for a while. I think the self-denial is strong for those whose jobs depend on pretending it ain’t so.
Something I've learned from the Epstein Files:
The world is a lot smaller than I thought.
The world is a lot smaller than I thought.
February 6, 2026 at 2:48 AM
Something I've learned from the Epstein Files:
The world is a lot smaller than I thought.
The world is a lot smaller than I thought.