Several science and health experts are in Calgary to launch a week-long campaign to educate Canadians about the prevalence of misinformation, how to spot it and the consequences it has for health, democracy and the environment.

Together Against Disinformation, led by ScienceUpFirstwhich is an initiative of the Canadian Association of Science Centres, is hosting a panel of experts at the Calgary Central Library on Tuesday evening, the first of many events taking place throughout the week.

“Disinformation has become one of the greatest challenges of our time, not just for Alberta, but for the world,” said Timothy Caulfield, co-founder of ScienceUpFirst and director of research at the University of Alberta.

“We need to make a difference and know that we can all do something.”

Caulfield said that while disinformation is not new, the scale and impact it has had since the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented.

“People live in echo chambers; there’s a growing distrust of institutions, which makes it harder to point people in the direction of credible information because they don’t believe those credible sources anymore, so in so many ways it’s so much more. challenging now than it has ever been,” he said.

“It almost feels like we’re slipping back into a dark age. There are things that are lies; there are things that the evidence tells us are probably true, and if we stop believing that, we’re lost.”

Caulfield said misinformation is having a devastating impact on people’s health, citing increased vaccine hesitancy.

“It kills people. It sounds hyperbole saying that, but it really kills people,” he said.

“But we also know that misinformation creates polarization; it creates anger, and often the people who spread it—that’s the point. They want to create mistrust and unfortunately it works.

“Look at the impact disinformation is having on democracies around the world.”

He said people in positions of power — especially elected officials — legitimize and normalize misinformation.

“We’re seeing it happening all over the world. We’re seeing it happening in Alberta, we’re seeing it happening nationally, and it’s happening in other places on planet Earth,” he said.

“I think that’s going to make fighting disinformation more difficult because once it becomes part of your political identity, once it becomes an ideological political banner, it becomes much more difficult to change people’s minds.”

Caulfield said the group’s members will arm people with information about how they can address misinformation and protect themselves against it, which can help stop its spread.

“Make sure you know who’s pushing that information. Are they playing with your emotions? Are they trying to sell something? Is it really a political maneuver? All of these should be red flags that say, “Hey, maybe I should go to other sources to check this out,”’ he said.

“It’s an uphill battle. Even the word “disinformation” has now become politicized, making it increasingly challenging.

“The subject has become very divisive in itself and what we need to do is recognize that we can combat this in a positive way. It doesn’t have to be polarizing; it doesn’t have to be about shame.”

Caulfield is one of five speakers at Tuesday’s event in Calgary, including Dr. Jen Gunter, a well-known gynecologist and obstetrician; Dr. Melissa Lem, President of the Canadian Association of Environmental Physicians; and Anthony Morgan, TV host and science communicator.

WTF?! Weigh the facts about health starts at 6.30pm and can be attended in person or online.