Picking Your Nose Could Kill You — How Fake News Is Made

I read a scary headline, and clicked on the link.

Mostly because I am hiding a shocking secret, I pick my nose.

In fact, researchers say in surveys, 91% of people admit to picking their nose daily. That is hard science, proven with statistics.

What is not hard science is the idea that picking one’s nose could cause Alzheimer.

Clickbait — an internet story, title, image, etc. that is intended to attract attention and encourage people to click on a link.

Cambridge Dictionary

The lack of scientific evidence didn’t stop media outlets toppling like dominoes to fall for the fake news story. Some took a step further to make it sound even more credible. The Daily Mail called it a “Sweeping NIH-backed review”.

It didn’t take much digging (=clicking the link in the New York Post) to find out the origin of this ‘finding’, is a post-doctoral research assistant at a low ranked university in Australia who published a paper in a free to read online research journal.

In fact, she publishes so many 'findings', that it became clear she doesn’t do any actual research. She simply reads other people's scientific papers and writes her own conclusion for them. That is called a “meta study” in the scientific world.

Chinese born Xian Zhou does have some interesting research interests. She moved to Australia to study “Herbal Medicines” at the University of Sydney.

A link to her numerous studies about Chinese Herbal medicine and the benefits of Tai Chi for diabetes:

https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=07p2ACAAAAAJ&hl=en

Her most recent research paper was the Neuroinflammatory Effects of marijuana gummies, and about the therapeutic effects of such things as Australian flowers, ginger, and honey bee pollen.

I'm sure she's a nice person, and I'd like to have some ginger and honey tea, but this doesn't exactly read like the cutting edge of Alzheimer's research:

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Interestingly, Joyce Siette, another researcher at the same university, published an article in The Conversation last year, debunking the whole concept:

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But I’m all for equality. Isn’t it cool, the world’s top media outlets run a headline written by a research assistant at the #19 university in Australia, all because she has a “PhD” in her name.

People like this also had a lot of great information about Vaccines and Ivermectin, didn’t they?

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Link to the scientific sounding mumbo jumbo in the free to read "scientific journal" biomolecules, which started the ball rolling:

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ChatGPT explains clickbait:

Fake news clickbait works by using sensational or misleading headlines and content to attract readers and generate clicks. The goal is to drive traffic to a particular website or article, often for the purpose of generating advertising revenue or spreading misinformation.

These clickbait headlines are designed to provoke curiosity or outrage, often by exaggerating or distorting the truth. They may use shocking or emotionally charged language to grab the reader's attention, regardless of the accuracy of the information. Once a reader clicks on the headline, they are directed to a website where the content may not match the sensational claims made in the headline.

Fake news clickbait often plays on people's emotions and biases, exploiting their desire for sensational or controversial information. It can spread quickly through social media platforms, where users share and engage with provocative content without verifying its accuracy.

By generating high levels of traffic and engagement, fake news clickbait can contribute to the spread of misinformation and disinformation, potentially influencing public opinion and undermining trust in reliable sources of news and information. It's important for readers to critically evaluate the sources and content they encounter online to avoid falling victim to fake news clickbait.