DebunkThis

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Debunking pseudoscience, myths, and spurious hogwash since 2010.

We are an evidence-based Reddit/Lemmy community dedicated to taking an objective look at questionable theories, dodgy news sources, bold-faced claims, and suspicious studies.

Community Rules:

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Title formatting on all posts should be "Debunk This: [main claim]"

Example: "Debunk This: Chemicals in the water are turning the frogs gay."

All posts must include at least one source and one to three specific claims to be debunked, so commenters know exactly what to investigate.

Example: "According to this YouTube video, dihydrogen monoxide turns amphibians homosexual. Is this true? Also, did Albert Einstein really claim this?"

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Always try to back up your comments with linked sources. Just saying "this is untrue" isn't all that helpful without facts to support it.

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Links

Suggested Fediverse Communities

• RFK Jr. Watch @lemm.ee - Discuss misinformation being spread by antivaxxer politician, Robert F Kennedy Jr.
• Skeptic @lemmy.world - Discuss pseudoscience, quackery, and bald-faced BS
• Skeptic @kbin.social - The above, just on Kbin
• Science Communication @mander.xyz - Discuss science literacy and media reporting

Useful Resources

• Common examples of misleading graphs - How to spot dodgy infographics
• Metabunk.org - a message board dedicated to debunking popular conspiracies
• Media Bias / Fact Check - Great resource for current news fact checking + checking a source's political bias
• Science Based Medicine - A scientific look at current issues and controversies
• Deplatform Disease - A medical blog that specifically counters anti-COVID-vaccine claims
• Respectful Insolence - David Gorsky's blog on antivax shenanigans, politics, and pseudoscience

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

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-15

DebunkThis: CDC Director Knew Vaccines Didn't Stop COVID-19 and Mislead the Public (dailysceptic.org)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by kabe to c/debunkthis

18 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This piece from The Daily Skeptic claims that the CDC director knowingly lied to the public because she knew that the COVID vaccines did not stop the virus even though she promoted mass vaccination.

What do we make of this one?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Well, it does stop the virus in some cases. In others, it provides a good boost to immune response when infected. This helped to keep a large majority of vaccinated individuals out of the hospital when they got it (including myself). As we continue to watch the virus mutate and gain better immune-evading features, the efficacy of the previous iterations of the vaccine wanes. On top of that, the immune boosting potential of the vaccine wanes over time, making it less effective after a period (hence boosters).

This is all vaccine 101, and if someone can't or won't understand the basics of vaccines and biology, they aren't going to care about any of this.

Even worse, if they are maliciously fabricating information (i.e. vaccinated people dying more than they are, vaccine side effects a la vaers, etc) then you are just playing into their hand to increase engagement and get eye balls on their nonsense.

[–] kabe 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I'm personally disheartened to see that claims are still being made in 2023 that a vaccine that doesn't prevent 100% of infections is completely useless. Tackling this fallacy is therefore still sadly necessary, as people who are not familiar with vaccine 101 can still read this and be mislead.

On your last point, I'm curious to know what the purpose of this community is if not to dismantle said nonsense.