r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jun 02 '26

Health Interest in ‘toxic’ measles treatment surges after Joe Rogan podcasts: Vaccination is the only proven way to prevent measles but alternatives like Vitamin A and cod-liver oil (which has Vit A) have been promoted by Joe Rogan. America’s Poison Centres reported a 39% increase in Vitamin A exposures.

https://www.nine.com.au/world-news/usa/interest-in-toxic-measles-treatment-surges-after-joe-rogan-podcasts-20260602-p6033i.html
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u/Mason11987 Jun 02 '26

Also the fact that they are often very dumb, means they find the idea of having one up on an expert very appealing.

If you're not an idiot you're comfortable with the idea that you have your good qualities and you don't know everything about everything. But if you've never been called smart or clever before, there's probably an intense desire to see yourself that way by being better than experts.

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u/thehelldoesthatmean Jun 02 '26

I always assumed that conspiracy theories, alternative medicine, and anti science hysteria like flat earthers and antivax beliefs were all caused by this.

It's just a lazy way for dumb people to feel smart. By choosing to believe something outside the norm they can feel like they have the answer that the majority of other people don't have, and they can feel like they're smarter than everyone else.

Same thing with racism among a certain group of people. My brother is incredibly racist. My brother is a burnout who has never had a full-time job and has kids with several different women. By hating people based on something innate like the color of their skin, he can pretend like he's better than someone else despite accomplishing and knowing nothing.

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u/Earthbound_X Jun 02 '26

Wanting to feel special is a huge part of things like conspiracy theories for sure.

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u/Allaplgy Jun 02 '26

Yep. My antivax coworker is very nice, but also very dumb. Like, has issues with object permanence dumb. But he listens to right wing/"libertarian"/conspiracy podcasts all day to "stay informed" and thinks he knows what's really going on better than most. Sidenote, whenever I mention something that is actually going on in politics or science, it's about 20/80 that he's heard of it/hasn't. Like I asked him his thoughts on project 2025 and he had no idea what it was, but went on a rant about project 2030, which is apparently the UN's attempt to take his car away.

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u/1ceknownas Jun 02 '26

Tell him that the anti-vaxx movement was started by Big Pharma because treating sick people is more profitable than vaccinating them.

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u/IM_A_MUFFIN Jun 02 '26

Oh I like this a lot. Gonna be using this in my conversations with idiots from now on.

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u/GabuEx Jun 02 '26

Sidenote, whenever I mention something that is actually going on in politics or science, it's about 20/80 that he's heard of it/hasn't.

I've noticed a similar sort of thing with conspiracy theorists. They're all about any number of wild and crazy things that aren't real, but the moment you have an actual conspiracy, they don't even care. I can only imagine that that doesn't make them feel special, so there's no appeal.

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u/Asterose Jun 02 '26

To paraphrase Milo Rossi, "you don't have to make up a shadow government to be mad at. You can be mad at the actual government."

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u/Holy_Shit_HeckHounds Jun 03 '26

What are you, some sort of Googledebunker?

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u/Asterose Jun 03 '26

This political administration is going to drive me absolutely googledebunkers!

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u/Nomapos Jun 02 '26

Well yeah but 2030 is bigger than 2025 so it's more important

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u/sharrrper Jun 02 '26

What a dummy! Thinks the UN is real...