Fake news of baby booms 9 months after major sporting events distorts the public's understanding of early human development science
Introduction: In France on 27/6/16, Iceland's men's national football team won 2-1, knocking England out of the UEFA European Championship. Result: Nine months after this momentous Icelandic victory, Ásgeir Pétur Þorvaldsson a medical doctor in Iceland, posted a tweet in jest suggesting th...
| Published in: | Early Human Development |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/25520 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2017.08.007 |
| Summary: | Introduction: In France on 27/6/16, Iceland's men's national football team won 2-1, knocking England out of the UEFA European Championship. Result: Nine months after this momentous Icelandic victory, Ásgeir Pétur Þorvaldsson a medical doctor in Iceland, posted a tweet in jest suggesting that a baby boom had occurred as a result of increased celebratory coital activity following the win. The media covered this widely but statistical analysis shows otherwise and this was confirmed by the original tweet source. Discussion: Given the increase in fake scientific news, it is especially important for scientists to correct misinformation lest the public loses trust in science or gains a distorted understanding of known facts. peer-reviewed |
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