So Far So Fake: The Impact of Misinformation in Today's Society

Unbiased Science

@unbiasedscipod

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 644 Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

To kick off season six of Unbiased Science, Dr. Jessica Steier and Dr. Sarah Scheinman welcome Dr. Matthew Facciani to explore the critical intersection of public health, misinformation, and artificial intelligence. The scientists examine how AI chatbots and other technologies are reshaping the landscape of health information, both positively and negatively. They discuss the growing challenges of distinguishing between misinformation and disinformation in digital spaces, particularly as these relate to public health decision-making. Throughout the conversation, the experts emphasize the vital importance of media literacy and community engagement as tools for combating false information. The episode highlights both the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advances in health communication, offering listeners insights into navigating an increasingly complex information environment. Video available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_YjX1oz--cI Get your copy of Dr. Facciani's book, Misguided: Where Misinformation Starts, How It Spreads, and What to Do About It on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/42b9TRk (00:00) Intro & Welcome Back! (03:39) Introducing Dr. Matthew Facciani (06:28) Public Health News Briefing (11:01) The Impact of Misinformation (17:11) Understanding Misinformation vs. Disinformation (21:59) Combating Misinformation: Strategies for Science Communicators (29:55) Finding Hope in Public Health https://matthewfacciani.substack.com/podcast https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/19/opinion/vaccines-autism-evidence.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fU8.9sZk.NROYXhTXCBeG&smid=url-share https://theunbiasedscipod.substack.com/p/how-a-government-autism-study-could ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested in advertising with us? Please reach out to advertising@airwavemedia.com, with “Unbiased Science” in the subject line. PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals. Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual. As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional. If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance. The information provided herein do not represent the views of our employers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:28.4	Welcome to Unbiased Science, where we bring scientific method to the madness.
0:33.1	We're your host, Dr. Jess Steyer, and Dr. Sarah Scheinman.
0:42.3	And we are back for season six of the podcast. It has been quite a summer. We're going to get to that in just a second. But we are so, so excited to be back. Certainly no shortage of public
0:47.8	health and science topics to cover these days. We heard your feedback, by the way. We're going to make some hopefully fun and good
0:56.7	changes to the podcast. We're going to try to talk a little less. You all think we're a little
1:02.8	long-winded. So we're going to try to keep episodes a little tighter. We're going to kick
1:07.4	things off with a little bit of a public health news briefing, which I'll get into in just a second.
1:13.6	And we'll still have our signature deep dives on topics, which is what we're known for.
1:18.4	So today, we are joined by a very special guest, Dr. Matthew Facciani.
1:26.6	Hello.
1:28.3	Hi, Matthew. Thanks for joining us.
1:30.6	Hello. It's great to be here.
1:32.0	Matthew is not only a brilliant scientist. He also happens to be a beautiful human being, a very good friend of mine.
1:40.3	And so we're going to get into introductions. Actually, let's just get into introductions right now because then I want to hear about your summers.
1:47.5	So hang on.
1:48.4	Let me get this very impressive vial loaded.
1:51.9	Dr. Matthew Facciani is a researcher at the University of Notre Dame in the Computer Science and Engineering Department.
1:59.2	He's an interdisciplinary social scientist
2:01.9	with a background in neuroscience and psychology and holds a PhD in sociology. His research focuses
2:09.1	on media literacy, misinformation, social networks, political polarization, identities, and artificial
2:15.8	intelligence. Beyond academia, I know, Oof is right. Beyond academia,
	...

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