Philipp Markolin, PhD

Public health scholars Michaela Kerrissey and Richard J. Tofel recently argued in STAT that students should study the unresolved debate over Covid-19’s origins as an exercise in grappling with uncertainty. Their impulse is admirable. But there’s a danger here that echoes an earlier chapter in American science education: the “Teach the Controversy” campaign of the early 2000s. That movement, led by advocates of intelligent design, urged schools to “teach both sides” of evolution, presenting it as an open question rather than a foundational fact of biology. Within evolutionary virology, evidence for a zoonotic spillover from the wildlife trade in Wuhan remains far stronger than evidence for a laboratory accident. The latter is not impossible, but it is highly speculative and unsupported by data. Treating these as equivalent “scientific hypotheses” risks reproducing the same false-balance dynamic that once let pseudoscience sneak into biology curricula under the banner of fairness. Uncertainty in science is not the same as controversy in politics. Every field of research contains unknowns; that’s why science progresses. But not every unknown deserves to be framed as a live dispute between co-equal camps. When instructors or journalists collapse that distinction, they can inadvertently validate manufactured controversy and erode the public’s sense of what counts as reliable knowledge. A better way to teach the Covid-origin debate is to flip the frame. Instead of asking students to weigh “lab leak versus market spillover” as if they were symmetrical, ask them to examine why the lab-leak narrative spread so powerfully despite limited evidence. What roles did media incentives, algorithmic amplification, and partisan polarization play? How did uncertainty become political currency? These questions illuminate the sociology of knowledge without confusing it with the science itself...

This was the "polite society" way of saying what I wrote in my blog, for those who can´t see behind the StatNews paywall. 🔽

There is a very good reply to that OpEd by @philippmarkolin.bsky.social in today's Letters to the Editor in STAT

www.statnews.com/2025/10/25/s...

Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin Podcast Episode · Decoding the Gurus · 2025-10-18 · 1h 14m

Amazing story and work: dive into the controversy-ridden world of the lab leak theory, accompanied by biochemist-turned-author Philipp Markolin. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/d...

Half the Answer #43: MAHA and the Climate Deniers: Who Are These People?! Trent and Caitlin talk with journalist Walker Bragman about the various crises in public health and climate change, the people who helped bring us here, and the dark money that funded it. They discuss...

"MAHA and the Climate Deniers: Who Are These People?!": @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social and @trentrichardnelson.bsky.social with @walkerbragman.bsky.social, on our Half the Answer podcast www.liberalcurrents.com/half-the-ans...

YouTube video by The Market Exit How to live a life that actually matters

Well produced, deeply enjoyable video.

youtu.be/1Vi96A6tFxI?...

Trump takes aim at European climate law after killing UN shipping fee Once again the United States is using its economic might to pressure other countries to back down from an effort to limit greenhouse gas pollution.

When I say that Trump and his petrostate/plutocrat overlords are a threat to humanity, I mean it
#ScienceUnderSiege
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Relative engagement with sources of climate misinformation is growing across social media platforms - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Relative engagement with sources of climate misinformation is growing across social media platforms

If you think mis- and disinformation is no big deal , read this: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Trojan gold: New US “standard” is another veiled attack on science Transparency, reproducibility, and acknowledging uncertainty are meritorious attributes of science that differentiate it from other human endeavors, such as politics. But they can also be subverted. In the United States, an executive order from the Trump administration called Restoring Gold Standard Science illustrates how this can be achieved despite it being cloaked in language that most of the scientific community would enthusiastically support. The order seeks to “to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available,” and it has already informed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) revised procedures for conducting risk evaluations for chemicals already in commerce.

My latest column in Science appeared a few days ago, entitled Trojan gold: New US “standard” is another veiled attack on science. doi.org/10.1126/scie... The main points are as follows: 1/n

1/9

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory. www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

He is such a weirdo, incoherent, intellectual dwarf.

Everything he spouts shows an insecure narcissist

How Trump’s assault on climate science is a ‘threat to humanity’ OPINION: Two leading environmental scientists sound the alarm on the backlash against climate science in U.S.

"How Trump’s assault on climate science is a ‘threat to humanity" | Commentary by opinion columnist Harry Mok in today's @sfchronicle.com: www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/arti...

Fake Archaeology is a cult with charismatic leaders & an isolating narrative

They repeat "do your own research," thinking YouTube videos by their lying leaders is research

They attack non-believers who show real evidence against the lies, creating a closed-minded belief system

YouTube video by Howtown Did we just unfreeze a pandemic?

I have enjoyed a number of Howtown's YouTube videos and I thought this one was particularly poignant.

Yes, unfreezing super bugs from deep in the permafrost is a concern, however, compared to existing forces driving pandemic risk, it's miniscule.

Also, think "lab leak"...

youtu.be/zAfoNtADtoI?...

Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin

Loved this episode of @guruspod.bsky.social w @philippmarkolin.bsky.social on the Covid origin conspiracy. It’s wild the lab leak theory has almost become mainstream - this will help you understand how organized conspiracy theorists plotted the discourse and won influence

pca.st/episode/eacb...

Science Journalist Jon Cohen on Preventing the Next Pandemic | KQED We talk to about overcoming denialism and what scientists around the world are doing to keep the most dangerous pathogens at bay.

I really enjoyed this podcast with @cohenjon.bsky.social where he talks about his recent book and the broader, often strange, world of infectious diseases.

With so many non-science journalists opining on topics they know little about, this is a breath of fresh air!

www.kqed.org/forum/201010...

MAHA Action Flyer

When historians write the history of the destruction of US public health & health research, I believe this event will be foundational in encapsulating what went wrong

The Great Barrington Declaration meets extreme anti-vaxx activists meets dangerous conspiracy theorists meets wellness grifters, ugh

American Energy Alliance This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin. Follow the money in the Koch wiki. The American Energy Alliance (AEA) describes itself as "the independent grassroots affiliate of the Institute for Energy Research (IER). AEA’s mission is to enlist and empower energy consumers to encourage policymakers to support free market policies. These policies lead to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy for all Americans."[1] It was founded in 2008 by Thomas Pyle, who previously lobbied on behalf of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association and Koch Industries and who previously worked for Congressman Tom Delay (R-TX), when Delay served as Whip and before Delay, as House Majority Leader, stepped down from the U.S. House of Representatives under an ethical cloud. Koch Wiki Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360.

Honored to be attacked by the "American Energy Leadership Institute" -- a Koch/fossil fuel/dark money outfit cynically mortgaging the future of the planet for plutocrat profits.

When we talk about the "forces of darkness" in #ScienceUnderSiege, these are the people we're talking about.

"Teaching the controversy" and other terrible takes on COVID-19 origins A new campaign to turn retconned fanfiction into teaching material is underway

Wrote about it here: www.protagonist-science.com/p/teaching-t...

Leute fangen nicht an, Dinge zu glauben, weil sie wahr sind. Sondern weil sie oft genug wiederholt werden & Emotionen ansprechen.

Einige Überreiche haben ganze Medien gekauft & hochgezogen, um uns alle über Jahre mit Lügen zu indoktrinieren. Durch stetige Wiederholung.

Das ist der Rechtsruck.

Blocked them all in the first 30 minutes. It's the bsky way - block, don't engage. Screenshot only if you must, never reskeet.

Someone also put together a list of everyone who followed the white supremacist house's account as well. Many obvious bots in this list.

bsky.app/profile/did:...

This Science article on evolution of anti-evolution bills could have some useful techniques for analyzing the current set of bills: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

(Note my COI: I was a postdoc mentor for Nick when he published this)

Lava take 🔥

Run-of-the-mill conspiracy Kool-Aid drinkers wondering whether there is not a way to get students to swallow it too; but framed as a polite society hot-take.

It was a pleasure to talk to Will Hutton about misinformation and inoculation on the We Society Podcast for the Academy of Social Sciences (@acadsocsciences.bsky.social)

Full episode here podfollow.com/the-we-socie...

Climate and health strategies must address the biodiversity crisis Safeguarding biodiversity is not simply an environmental concern but a foundational element of preventive and clinical care.

Biodiversity isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a health issue. We argue that ignoring biodiversity loss undermines efforts to protect public health. Protecting nature is a primary medical intervention. 👉 www.statnews.com/2025/10/20/b...
#OneHealth #Biodiversity #PublicHealth @wcs.org

This is a fantastic discussion and a big poke in the eye for contrarians who gave zero clue about the actual science and just gibber and froth about furin cleavage sites and deep state. Thankyou

Verification, Deliberation, Accountability: A new framework for tackling epistemic collapse and renewing democracy Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

Authors consider the case for democratic repair: what practices generate legitimacy, help build democratic resilience and restore institutional trust.

Read the full paper here: demos.co.uk/research/ver...

Authors argue that democracy only works when three functions are visible and trusted:

🔍 Verification - can we know what’s true?
💬 Deliberation - do our voices matter?
⚖️ Accountability - can power be held to account?

Verification, Deliberation, Accountability: A new framework for tackling epistemic collapse and renewing democracy Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

🧵 Across the world, democracy isn’t just under pressure, it’s facing epistemic collapse: a breakdown in the shared ability to know what’s true, to reason together and to hold power to account.

A new guest paper by @eliothiggins.bsky.social and @drnataliemartin.bsky.social explores how to fix it.