The NU.nl article that incorrectly calls combjellies jellyfish. Source: NU.nl

Why did the article confuse the comb jellies (ctenophora) and the jellyfish (cnidaria), even though they belong to different groups? On the surface, both animals look fairly alike, because they are both gelatinous. But look a bit deeper and this confusion may actually have more to do with ignorance and misinformation than one might initially suspect.

The Spread of Misinformation

A study suggests that one of the causes of misinformation is the way people consume news through the internet and social media. Journalists use flashy headlines to garner clicks² and generate more income. It became really clear during the covid pandemic, when a rampant increase of misinformation resulted in horrible consequences, such as people not wearing masks or refusing to receive the vaccine³. However, misinformation about research is not new.

One argument parents use when choosing not to vaccinate their child is "vaccines cause autism - look at this paper". However, the paper in question has been refuted for decades⁴.

Another article where a study has been refuted, is a study on wolf behaviour and the concept of the “alpha male”⁵. A certain group of content creators (mostly men) is still proclaiming themselves as alpha males, this is supposed to be natural as the refuted paper stated. According to them is why they are better than women and why they should lead over them. These kinds of misinformation persist in the media. Applications such as Tiktok and Youtube have not made the situation any better. Influencers share dangerous health tips or, put plainly, scams just to go viral, even though they are often misguided. This is how misinformation can spread like wildfire. So, it is important to think critically about everything you hear and read - even this article! None of us are immune to being misinformed.

Prevention Is the Best Medicine

So, how can we prevent misinformation, especially surrounding scientific topics? As was said earlier, be critical; do your own research into what you read or hear, and check the sources. I understand that not everyone has the time for this, so good communication coming from the science community is also a must. Luckily, there are a few creators online that are very passionate about communicating science well. For example, brothers Hank and John Green, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nevertheless, we still need more journalists that report accurately on scientific research. Investing in science communication and editors who are qualified in the relevant fields can help to make people aware of these kinds of scientific topics truthfully.

Science should be approachable for the general public. No, not everyone needs to know the intricacies of cell metabolism, or the finer details about how stars work; simplification is good, but the content still needs to be accurate and truthful. As Leiden Science Magazine, it is our duty to publish articles not just to combat misinformation, but also to share our love of science. And remember -comb jellies are not jellyfish!

Sources

1. Kei Jokura and others, ‘Rapid Physiological Integration of Fused Ctenophores’, Current Biology, 34.19 (2024), pp. R889–90, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.084.
2. Jevin D. West and Carl T. Bergstrom, ‘Misinformation in and about Science’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118.15 (2021), p. e1912444117, doi:10.1073/pnas.1912444117.
3. Maria Mercedes Ferreira Caceres and others, ‘The Impact of Misinformation on the COVID-19 Pandemic’, AIMS Public Health, 9.2 (2022), p. 262, doi:10.3934/publichealth.2022018.
4. T. S. Sathyanarayana Rao and Chittaranjan Andrade, ‘The MMR Vaccine and Autism: Sensation, Refutation, Retraction, and Fraud’, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53.2 (2011), p. 95, doi:10.4103/0019-5545.82529.
5. Stephanie Pappas, ‘Is the Alpha Wolf Idea a Myth?’, Scientific American <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/> [accessed 3 November 2024].