We live in a time when misinformation spreads quickly and confidently. Public debate is often shaped by exaggeration, selective evidence, empty promises, and outright falsehoods. In medicine and biomedical science, this is especially dangerous. Misleading claims in scientific papers, press releases, media reports, and online discussions can distort how people understand health and disease. Over time, this weakens trust in science-based medicine and creates space for scams, miracle cures, and overhyped treatments.
The consequences are serious. Patients may delay or reject effective therapies in favour of unproven alternatives. People can lose money on useless products, suffer unnecessary harm, or miss the chance for proper treatment. Medical misinformation also contributes to mistrust in healthcare systems and professionals, which can reduce adherence to treatment for chronic conditions such as HIV or hypertension.
This talk by Head of the Laboratory of Biophysics, Oleg Lunov, is an invitation to push back against that confusion. We will take a practical look at how biomedical science is actually done, where misleading claims come from, and how to recognize red flags in medical information. The goal is not to make everyone an expert, but to help people think more clearly, ask better questions, and become more resistant to bad science and medical misinformation.
The talk will take place in the Dvořák Hall (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences; Pod Vodárenskou věží 1, Prague 8).
Přednáška se jako obvykle koná ve Dvořákově sále na Slovance (FZU AV ČR, Pod Vodárenskou věží 1, Praha 8).
The lecture will be held in English on this occasion.