Science is not a collection of anecdotes, we believe in randomised controlled trials: Harvard prof Kasisomayajula Viswanath

In an interview with The Indian Express after the session, Viswanath discussed the challenges of science communication in India, Meta’s announcement to stop its fact-checking programme in the US, and science misinformation online.

Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge in science communication in India?

Dr Kasisomayajula Viswanath: One challenge in India is heterogeneity, whether it is class, religion, or language. Whatever you want to do, you have to pay attention to the scale. Scale is a huge challenge in India because of the diversity. Don’t get me wrong; diversity is a good thing. But when you are communicating scientific facts, it is a real challenge.

On the other hand, the Indian government has worked out a system on how to address heterogeneity, but it takes more effort.

Q: What effect do you think Meta stopping its fact-checking programme will have on social media misinformation?

Dr Kasisomayajula Viswanath: It won’t help. Meta is focusing on political misinformation, but there is certainly a line that blurs between political misinformation and scientific misinformation. Fact-checking is not perfect, but it is effective up to a point. They are not just eliminating fact-checking but also removing de-ranking, demoting and other policies.

Q: They are transitioning to community note-based fact-checking. What do you think about its effectiveness?

Dr Kasisomayajula Viswanath: Yes, they are transitioning to a community note-based fact-checking system, but I’m not sure how effective it will be. Can anyone say that Twitter or X is a better platform these days? No. Wikipedia works on a community-based method, but I’m uncertain about Meta.

I can understand why they want to do it, particularly in a critical context where there is a danger of censorship. In politics we want a multiplicity of points of view, but in science, there is a consensus or there is no consensus. It is much more black and white. Whether I believe in evolution or not doesn’t matter. That is what I’m worried about.

Q: On the popular Joe Rogan podcast, a guest claimed that people he knew beat stage 4 cancer using ivermectin and fenbendazole. What are your thoughts?

Dr Kasisomayajula Viswanath: You see it all the time; people have alternative medicine approaches. But these are anecdotes, and science is not a collection of anecdotes. We believe in randomised controlled trials and compile evidence over time, so it is not that easy.

If somebody says, ‘I believe in this; my aunt got saved because of this,’ you don’t want to dismiss that because it might be disrespectful. But the fact is that it is not true.

Q: In India, various podcasters or content creators passionately argue for things that lack scientific evidence, like semen retention. How can this be countered?

Dr Kasisomayajula Viswanath: Increase the supply of more accurate information. The good news is that not everyone is exposed to misinformation. Maybe a thousand people are, but we are 1.4 billion people. The solution is to ensure that people have access to accurate scientific information. I think that is the only way to address this.