Big Ideas Prove It! Elizabeth Finkel's Scientific Guide for the Post-Truth Era
Oct 8, 2025
Dr. Elizabeth (Ella) Finkel, a seasoned science journalist and author, discusses the urgent need for scientific literacy in today’s misinformation-heavy world. She dives into how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped societal trust in science and the fierce debates surrounding the virus's origins. Finkel critiques the politicization of medical evidence, using ivermectin as a case study, and emphasizes the importance of scientific skepticism. With insights on human evolution and the role of DNA in reshaping our understanding, she advocates for clear communication of scientific uncertainty.
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Science Is Brutal, Not A Cabal
- Elizabeth Finkel argues science is brutal, self-correcting and not a conspiratorial cabal.
- She urges the public to understand the scientific process of testing, consensus and quantified uncertainty.
How COVID Origins Were Investigated
- The lab-leak vs market origin debate for COVID exposed how scientists test and seek to disprove hypotheses.
- Early genome sleuthing and pangolin data shifted the balance toward a natural origin, though absolute proof remained elusive.
Scientists Faced Backlash Over Lab-Leak Emails
- Elizabeth recounts the Nature Medicine meeting convened after genome results and the subsequent email with pangolin virus data.
- Scientists who ruled out lab engineering faced threats and career damage from ensuing conspiracies.
