intro/celebrity in science

Question 1

what is the brain body connection?

Answer 1

intricate relationship between brain and rest of the body especially through the nervous system. crucial to maintain connection for regulation of physiological functions like homeostasis

Question 2

describe the nervous system

Answer 2

divided into CNS and PNS

CNS is spinal cord and brain
PNS is everything in periphery

PNS is further divided into autonomic and somatic.
ANS is involuntary functions like respiratory rate, heart rate, digestion. somatic system is voluntary movement.

Question 3

neurotransmitters

Answer 3

chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons. regulate mood, emotions, and physiological processes

Question 4

hormones

Answer 4

chemical messengers secreted by the endocrine system glands. travel through blood to target cells.

Question 5

immune system

Answer 5

bidirectional relationship between nervous system and immune system. the brain influences the immune system through neurotransmitters and immune cells can produce signals that affect nervous system

Question 6

emotional and psychological states

Answer 6

brian body connection is closely tied to these states.
emotional experiences trigger physiological responses in the body (ex. changes in heart rate, blood pressure and hormone levels)

Question 7

stress response

Answer 7

brain plays central role in body’s stress response. hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands coordinate release of stress hormones like cortisol

Question 8

homeostasis

Answer 8

brain monitors and regulates various parameters to maintain state of balance = homeostasis.

Question 9

what is placentophagy and what are the risks?

Answer 9

the placenta is an intricate organ that nourishes the fetus by exchanging oxygen and filters waste products via umbilical cord.

most common placenta prep steams and dehydrates the placenta to make a capsule, but others have eaten the placenta raw, cooked, in smoothies or extracts.

these preparations dont destroy the bacteria and viruses the placenta may contain.

a newborn once got group B strep from their mother’s contaminated breast milk after the mother consumed her contaminated placenta.

many claim eating the placenta helps with postpartum depression, reduced bleeding, improves energy and milk supply… none of this is confirmed. it can be harmful to the mother and child.

Question 10

fake news definition

Answer 10

false stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or media, usually to influence political views or as a joke

Question 11

misinformation definition

Answer 11

false information that is spread regardless of whether there is intent to mislead

Question 12

disinformation definition

Answer 12

information that is deliberately misleading or biased. propaganda. wrong on purpose.

Question 13

Who is Timothy Caufield

Answer 13

canada research chair in health law and policy. researches at university of alberta. research topics on stem cells, genetics, research ethics, and public representations of science and health policy. author of the science of celebrity.

Question 14

why are celebrity health recommendations so dangerous?

Answer 14

celebrities have a strong cultural presence compared to scientists.

Question 15

explain the two economic mechanisms for celebrity influence

Answer 15

signals: endorsements
herd behaviour: activate people’s tendency to make decisions based on how others have acted in similar ones

Question 16

explain two marketing mechanisms celebrities use for their influence

Answer 16

meaning transfer: people consume endorsed items to acquire the endorsing celebrity’s traits, which are associated with the product
halo effect: the success of celebrities is generalized to all their traits, biasing people to view them as more credible than they are

Question 17

describe the psychology mechanisms that are used by celebrities for their influence

Answer 17

classic conditioning: positive responses people have towards the celebrity come to be generated by the endorsed item
self conception: people follow advice from celebrities who match how they perceive themselves
cognitive dissonance: people unconsciously rationalize following celebrity medical advice to reduce psychological discomfort that may result from holding incompatible views

Question 18

describe the sociology mechanisms a celebrity may use for their influence

Answer 18

social networks: advice reaches masses by spreading through systems of personally linked people
social capital: people follow celebrity medical advice to gain social status and shape their identity

Question 19

define social contagion and 3 main types

Answer 19

spread of thoughts, feelings and behaviours through a social group or community. transmission of ideas, emotions or actions within a social network.

behavioural mimicry: individuals often mimic the behaviours of those around them, leading to the replication of certain actions in a group
emotional contagion: emotions can be contagious, especially with people in close proximity or connected through social networks influencing each other’s emotional states
social media influence: online platforms can amplify social contagion by providing rapid and widespread means of communication. trends, opinions and behaviours can quickly spread online.

Question 20

what was Dr Oz put on trial with a hearing for?

Answer 20

weight loss claims about a green coffee and other supplements.

Question 21

which age group is more likely to watch the most tv? the least?

Answer 21

older adults are more likely to watch more TV.
young adults watch the least.

Question 22

Fully summarize the study done on televised medical talk shows and recommendations

Answer 22

examined 40 randomly selected episodes of 2 popular health talk shows: Dr Oz and The Doctors
counted recommendations found in each, ~400s in each. (not strong if it just tells what the benefit is with no call to action)
then strong recommendations in each, ~200s. (if it was repeated many times or directly suggested, it was a strong recommendation)
then benefits, harm and costs were detailed.

benefit mentioned ~90% of the time
specific benefit mentioned ~40% of the time
magnitude of benefit mentioned ~15% of the time
possible harm mentioned ~10% of the time
cost mentioned ~ 12% (Oz) and 3% (Doctors) of the time
conflict of interest mentioned 1x Oz, 3x Doctors

topic categories were usually general medical advice with lots of dietary recs and weight loss recs.
Dr Oz would usually give a dietary recommendation, the Doctors most common red was to see your primary care provider.

Oz rarely suggested seeing a Dr (9%) but the Doctors did so 33% of the time

Oz usually had believable evidence (37%), but lots of conflicts and lots with no evidence (31%)
The Doctotrs had more believable evidence (50%), some conflicts and some no evidence

Question 23

what did the dr oz and the doctors analysis study add?

Answer 23

recommendations made on popular medical talk shows lack adequate information on specific benefits, magnitude of benefits and harms, and dont facilitate informed decision making.
~1/2 of recs have no evidence or are contradicted by best available evidence. Conflicts of interest are rarely addressed.
Public should be skeptical about recommendations made on medical talk shows

Question 24

who is Katie Couric and what did she do?

Answer 24

Couric is a journalist on NBC
televised her colonoscopy in 2000, and afterwards colorectal cancer screenings increased by 21% the next month.

Question 25

What did Caufield and Fhay (2016) have to say about celebrities in science?

Answer 25

scientific community needs to speak out
communication must address audience’s values, motivations.
scientists are not fact-checkers
each communication is an opportunity to discuss important issues