ScienceUpFirst
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scienceupfirst.bsky.social
ScienceUpFirst
@scienceupfirst.bsky.social
690 followers 83 following 170 posts
An initiative of the Canadian Association of Science Centres. We are a broad networks of experts and researchers addressing misinformation on social media in clear and creative ways.

Consult our referenced posts and vetted resources:
ScienceUpFirst.com
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scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Our team is taking a short break over the next two weeks to recharge, reflect, and get ready for 2026

While we’re away, let us know the topics you would like us to cover in the new year. 👇

#ScienceUpFirst
December 18, 2025 at 10:13 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Talking about polarizing topics can be difficult. Regardless of who the conversation is with it’s better for everyone if it goes positively.

Here are a few tips to help you get through these difficult discussions.😵‍💫

www.scienceupfirst.com/project/our-...

#ScienceUpFirst
Two people looking frustrated with a turkey dinner on a dinner table and speech bubbles that aren't saying anything between them. Text in graphic: "Conversations on polarizing topics can often be challenging and can quickly become unproductive. Here are a few evidence-based tips we have found to be helpful." #ScienceUpFirst
December 18, 2025 at 5:48 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Does it feel like there are difficult conversations hiding around every corner this month?

We know this can be a stressful time of year and we wanted to give you a few tips to hopefully help make it easier.

Happy holidays from the team at #ScienceUpFirst
December 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Deciding whether or not to go to the ER with your child is stressful.

We've broken down key factors for you to look for in this decision tree, we hope it alleviates some of your stress. 👇
scienceupfirst.com/kids-health/...

#ScienceUpFirst
Large bolded text on a teal background reads: “SHOULD YOU GO HERE TO THE HOSPITAL? Kids Edition” Under a flag that says “Start here” there is a question that asks “Does your child have a fever?” with three different options branching out and leading to more decisions.
December 15, 2025 at 8:58 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
TikTok can be fun, but when it comes to cancer advice, a lot of what you see can be unsafe or unreliable. Let’s clear some things up 👇

#ScienceUpFirst
December 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Science is built on many voices, not one institution.

A single surprising statement, even from a familiar or historically trusted source, doesn’t replace the wider consensus.

But how to gauge reliability?👇
scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
Six red flags in the centre, each one has a warning sign. There's a magnifying glass in the upper right. Text in the graphic: "Trusted Health Source Starting to Feel Off? 6 Signs A Source Is Unreliable. Breaks from broad expert consensus. Uses studies or data in a selective or misleading way. Ignores corrections or credible scientific criticism. Uses ideological or politicized language. Keeps moving the goalposts. Asking for impossible proof or proof of a negative” #ScienceUpFirst
December 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Every year, as the days get shorter and darker, some people will experience seasonal depression.

Learn about what can help and what won’t help with seasonal depression symptoms here 🌨️
www.scienceupfirst.com/project/the-...

#ScienceUpFirst
A night sky cityscape with shooting stars. Text in the graphic: "The sun is setting by 5PM. That's tough on a lot of us. Here are some evidence-based approaches to managing seasonal depression." #ScienceUpFirst
December 9, 2025 at 9:12 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
What if different misinformation tactics came with different moods and styles?

What would cherry picking look like? What about an appeal to nature? Check out this post to see them all!

👉 scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
The text at the top reads “Red Herring.” There are multiple items shown with a background that has a colour palette ranging from burgundy red to creamy white, passing through silver grey. Some of the pictures include black and white stiletto shoes, a black hat, a silver fish, some beige gloves, a red camera, a black hand bag, and a woman in a black attire and a beige coat. The text underneath reads “Misinformer tactics mood board.”
December 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Did you know that misinformation on the internet and social media often plays on your emotions to go viral?

Rage bait can hinder our critical thinking. Read more on that and how to protect yourself here 👇 www.scienceupfirst.com/project/misi...

#ScienceUpFirst
A dark blue background with an angry red emoji swearing in the centre. Some text above and below the emoji reads: “The Oxford word of 2025 is rage bait. Read why this misinformer tactic is so popular in the caption.” #ScienceUpFirst
December 4, 2025 at 5:55 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Ever find yourself watching something on social media and wondering if you’ve been transported to another universe?

In honour of the Stranger Things season 5 premiere we made a video of the Upside Down…except it’s a wellness influencer.

#ScienceUpFirst
November 27, 2025 at 4:32 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Did you know that not all scientific evidence has the same weight?

The more the study relies on an expert's opinion, rather than many data points and peer-review, the higher the risk of bias.

🔺https://www.scienceupfirst.com/project/hierarchy-of-evidence/

#ScienceUpFirst
A layered, rainbow-coloured pyramid, with each layer tied to a different part of the hierarchy of evidence. Text in graphic: "The Hierarchy of Evidence: Risk of Bias, Systematic Review/Meta Analysis, Randomised Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, Case Control Studies, Case Series/Reports, Editorials/Expert Opinion. Not all evidence is the same. #ScienceUpFirst
November 26, 2025 at 5:41 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
It’s shaping up to be a rough flu season — time to layer up that protection. 💪

Need some inspo? Check out what others are doing to stay healthy this season
👉 tinyurl.com/SUFScienceChampions

#ScienceUpFirst #LaSciencedAbord #TogetherAgainstMisinformation
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Cannabis is NOT what it used to be.
With much higher levels of THC today, the effects can hit harder and carry greater risks for substance addiction or psychosis.

scienceupfirst.com/lifestyle-be...

This post was made in collaboration between @camhnews.bsky.social and @scienceupfirst.bsky.social
On a colourful background of purple and orange, a cannabis leaf is shown as getting bigger. The text says: “Today's cannabis is much stronger than what your parents smoked in the 70s.” In the lower corner, it says “In collaboration with CAMH.” #ScienceUpFirst
November 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Everyone deserves accurate info to make the choices that work for them.

Check this out to learn what research says about tracking your cycle. 👇

scienceupfirst.com/sexual-healt...

This post was made in collaboration between @pwhrcanada.bsky.social and @scienceupfirst.bsky.social
A woman in the centre sits thinking about her choices with question marks by her head. Text in graphic: "Thinking about tracking your cycle instead of using birth control? Learn how it works and what to keep in mind" #ScienceUpFirst
November 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
They say they’re “just asking questions.”
You answer.
They ask again, ignoring your answer.
And again.
And again.
That’s not curiosity, that’s sealioning. A polite-looking way to troll and waste your time.
Don’t take the bait. Call it out. 🦭

👉 scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
An informational poster in the style of "don't feed the sealions". There's a warning sign at the top, in the centre it says "Please do not feed sealioners" with a ban sign and a human face looking towards a barking sealion. At the bottom there is a sealion with a man's head that says "I'll never stop" Text in graphic: " Did you know sealioners; Are trolls who ask endless questions to drain your energy? Aim to make you seem unreasonable for getting frustrated or not answering all their questions? Are best dealt with by calling out their bad-faith tactic?" #ScienceUpFirst
November 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
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Canada has lost its measles elimination status after more than 25 years, despite evidence of efficacy and safety for the vaccines. 👇
scienceupfirst.com/public-healt...

#ScienceUpFirst

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A black and yellow background. There is a credit to the CBC for a headline that reads: “Canada loses measles elimination status. Updated 5 minutes ago. Public Health Agency of Canada says outbreak has persisted for over 12 months.” The message below reads: “This was all preventable. The MMRV vaccine remains very safe and effective. And yet, medical misinformation makes it increasingly hard for Canadians to make good decisions to protect their families.” #ScienceUpFirst
November 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Everyone deserves care, comfort, and pleasure! 💗

A big thank you to Dr. Lori Brotto (@drloribrotto) for sharing her expertise! This post was made in collaboration between @pwhrcanada,@womensresearch and scienceupfirst

#ScienceUpFirst #PWHRCanada #TogetherAgainstMisinformation
November 13, 2025 at 5:16 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
No, a recent study did not show that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer.
It found more cancer diagnoses after vaccination, not that vaccines caused cancer.

Headlines can be misleading, read carefully.
More details here 👇
scienceupfirst.com/vaccines/cov...

#ScienceUpFirst
Image description: A photo of a stethoscope in the lower right half of the slide. Text in slide: "No, COVID-19 vaccines do not increase cancer risk. In fact, a preliminary study found that it might increase survival rates of certain cancer patients." #ScienceUpFirst
November 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Did you know you can absolutely transmit human papillomavirus (HPV) without showing any symptoms? In fact, most people who catch HPV won’t show any symptoms!

Learn more about HPV and how it spreads: tinyurl.com/HPVWhatIs

This post was made in collaboration with @Immunize.ca

#ScienceUpFirst
November 12, 2025 at 2:29 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Have you ever heard of neurodivergent masking? It’s a way of hiding parts of oneself to fit in and avoid social repercussions.

But this is not without consequences for individuals' health. Learn more here 👇 www.scienceupfirst.com/project/mask...

#ScienceUpFirst
Three overlapping masks in the bottom two thirds of the image, an arrow in the bottom right. Text in graphic: "Masking and neurodivergence. An introduction" #ScienceUpFirst
November 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Good news! The vast majority of people living in Canada care about climate change!

But, many Canadians also think that most of their fellow Canucks don’t share their views.

This can be problematic 👇

#ScienceUpFirst
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Two people are hugging planet Earth. There are clouds in the background. A hand is waving the Canadian flag. There is a message that says “GOOD NEWS! Most Canadians care about climate (Even if you think they don't)” #ScienceUpFirst
November 6, 2025 at 9:16 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
We felt nostalgic this week and wanted to bring back Clippy, but with a twist!

We wondered: “What would Clippy say if it was programmed to nudge and assist people with misinformation?”

You can see the rest of our Clippys here. 👇
scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
A Clippy the paperclip character on a sheet of yellow lined paper saying "It looks like this post is pulling on a lot of emotions! Do you want to take a step back and reflect on the information? Yes. No." #ScienceUpFirst
November 5, 2025 at 9:10 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
The last thing people need in a crisis is bad information👇

scienceupfirst.com/climate/extr...

As always, before you share a post, pause and think, "Is this accurate?"

#ScienceUpFirst
A storm; clouds, lightning, heavy rain and water. Text in the graphic: "Extreme Weather, Extreme Misinformation. How false rumours make emergencies worse – and why they don’t end when the sky clears." #ScienceUpFirst
November 3, 2025 at 10:23 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Science is under attack and it’s causing real harm to people, communities, and public trust.

“Turbo cancer” is not a real thing and deaths from the COVID-19 vaccines are extremely rare and closely monitored. Read more here 👇
scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
A yellow background with a photo of a doctor's hand holding a stethoscope coming into the left side of the frame. Text in image: " The COVID-19 vaccines are not associated with “sudden death,” “excess deaths,” or “turbo cancer.” They’ve been studied extensively and have saved millions of lives (1-3)." #ScienceUpFirst
October 28, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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Microplastics are in our water, food, air—and even our bodies. But are they actually harming our health? 🤔
Here's what we know (and what we don't).👇

scienceupfirst.com/science-101/...

#ScienceUpFirst
Photos of crumpled plastic bottles in a circle around the text. They're black and white, the background is mint green. Text in graphic: "Are microplastics a problem for our health? Let’s break down what we know (and what we don’t) about microplastics and human health." #ScienceUpFirst
October 27, 2025 at 6:06 PM