ScienceUpFirst
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scienceupfirst.bsky.social
ScienceUpFirst
@scienceupfirst.bsky.social
670 followers 83 following 150 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
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
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
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
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
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
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Wellness influencers often use misinformer tactics to persuade. We’ve already discussed 4 tactics in a previous post, but here are 4 more 👇

scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
A background of leaves, a yoga symbol in the upper right corner. Pink stripes on the left hand side, the text is in decorative shapes. Text: "4 misinformer tactics ill-intentioned wellness influencers can use to cause confusion." #ScienceUpFirst
October 23, 2025 at 8:25 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Ever get lost in the grocery store oil aisle wondering which oil to use for cooking? 🫒

You’re not alone!

We teamed up with Nutritionist & Dietitian @myriam.beaudry.dtp to make a quick guide on popular cooking oils and how to best use them.

Check it out 👇
scienceupfirst.com/nutrition/co...
A clear glass bottle of oil with a wood stopper on the top. In the upper left is a title block with oil blobs that says "Cooking Oils". A big drop of oil in the upper right corner with text that says "Your go-to guide for the best oils in every situation". A title box on the lower left says "Oil uses and concerns". There are fluid design elements. The remaining text says: "What factors influence choosing a cooking oil? Smoke point, tastes, cost, health effects, environmental impact? Swipe to see how the oils compare.”
October 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Many assumed benefits of stretching, like injury prevention, faster recovery, or improved performance, don’t seem to hold up under research.

Surprised?👇

scienceupfirst.com/lifestyle-be...

#ScienceUpFirst
Two women stretch in the centre. There's an arrow at the bottom pointing to the right. Text: "Should you stretch when you workout? Maybe, but you might not get the benefits you expect" #ScienceUpFirst
October 20, 2025 at 2:36 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Same misinformation repeated again and again? That’s part of the firehose of falsehood tactic.

Learn why this propaganda technique works so well here 👇
www.scienceupfirst.com/project/misi...

#ScienceUpFirst
A hand reaches out of the ocean on the left side and a hand on the upper right with a firehose blasts that drowning hand in a full spray of water. Text in graphic: "Misinformer Tactic: Firehose of Falsehood" #ScienceUpFirst
October 16, 2025 at 3:51 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Nope. Measles isn’t just a childhood disease. It can affect anyone!

Learn more about measles and who is most at risk for serious infection here: tinyurl.com/MeaslesNeedT...

This post was made in collaboration between (@immunizecanada.bsky.social) and (@ScienceUpFirst)
October 14, 2025 at 1:28 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Doing your own research? Fact-checkers use lateral reading because it is faster, more efficient, and less biased than vertical reading. It’s called the SIFT method.

👉https://scienceupfirst.com/misinformation-101/how-to-read-laterally-sift/

#ScienceUpFirst #SciLit
Shelves with books and assorted office items across the top and bottom. Text in graphic: "Lateral reading: How to effectively, Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace the information source." #ScienceUpFirst
October 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Science is everywhere: in your bread, your music, your Wi-Fi, your medicine, and even your weather forecast. Here’s how it shows up in your everyday life.👇
www.instagram.com/reel/DPmH7vL...

#ScienceUpFirst #SciLit
October 9, 2025 at 5:01 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Do your own research” before. Let’s look at why it’s a loaded concept and how you can do it in a healthier way. 👇

scienceupfirst.com/science-101/...

#ScienceUpFirst #SciLit
A black and white hand holding a marker on a crumpled paper background. Text: "Should you do your own research? Let's talk about it. #ScienceUpFirst"
October 9, 2025 at 3:07 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Wellness influencers often rely on misinformer tactics to persuade. We’re breaking down 4 of them here 👇

scienceupfirst.com/misinformati...

#ScienceUpFirst
A green, yellow and orange abstract cover with moving shapes and an arrow in the lower right corner. Text: "4 Ways Ill-Intentioned Wellness Influencers can use Misinformer Tactics to Lure You In" #ScienceUpFirst
October 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Is beef tallow really healthier than seed oils for fries? 🍟
Nope. It’s packed with saturated fat, which raises “bad” cholesterol and heart risk.

Fries are a treat, enjoy them! But focus on balance: more fruits, veggies, grains, and lean proteins. 👇

scienceupfirst.com/nutrition/fr...
Two containers of french fries in the centre. Text: "Fries made with beef tallow or oil. Is one really healthier?" #ScienceUpFirst
October 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Mouth taping is trending, but does it actually improve sleep?

Recent review found the evidence is weak, inconsistent, and sometimes risky.
Mouth breathing is often a symptom, not the problem. Read more 👇

scienceupfirst.com/science-101/...

#ScienceUpFirst
A sleeping emoji with tape over its mouth. Text: "Should you tape your mouth to sleep better? See the caption for more details" #ScienceUpFirst
September 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Several methods of contraception exist in Canada: the choice depends on your needs.

Some facts to remember 👇
-The fertility method ≠ protection
-Only condoms (partially) protect against STIs
-Some methods expire!

Learn more here:
tinyurl.com/SUFContraceptiveMethods

@pwhrcanada.bsky.social
A chart showing the effectiveness of different contraceptive methods. The most effective methods (implant, hormonal and copper IUDs) are close to 100%. The least effective methods (condoms, withdrawal, natural methods) are below 85%. Text in the graphic: :Some contraceptive methods are a lof more effective than others. We explain it all here." #ScienceUpFirst #PWHRCanada
September 25, 2025 at 7:18 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
It bears repeating. No, taking Tylenol during pregnancy does not cause autism. One study found a correlation, not a causation. Other research has found no clear link.

Acetaminophen is one of the few safe options for pain relief during pregnancy.

👉 scienceupfirst.com/science-101/...
A swirly line in the centre with a white box on top, Tylenol red background. Text: "There is no causal link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. Reminder: correlation does not equal causation." #ScienceUpFirst
September 23, 2025 at 9:44 PM
scienceupfirst.bsky.social
Despite concerns about hexane or processing, science is clear: seed oils remain a healthy choice. Read more here 👇

scienceupfirst.com/nutrition/ex...

#ScienceUpFirst
It's formatted to look like the cover of a magazine called 'Seed Oils'. There are photos of Canola, a sunflower and peanuts on the right side. Text: "Seed oils are safe and healthy so why are people so concerned about them? Read how seed oils are extracted here."
September 22, 2025 at 6:35 PM