Ep 395: Science Communication Versus Commodification (ft. Dr. Nick Tiller)

Eric Helms hosts researcher and scientific skeptic Dr. Nick Tiller for a conversation on science communication versus “commodification” in health and fitness. After Tiller traces his path from UK sport science and work with GB Olympic athletes into scientific skepticism and writing, they cover what scientific skepticism actually is and its history (from Sagan, Randi, and the Bigfoot-and-UFOs era to today’s focus on wellness misinformation), how people with little expertise came to dominate the health and wellness space, and the distinction between skepticism and cynicism. From there they get into research attempting to measure critical thinking and cynicism on validated scales, which claims people choose to scrutinize and the rise of AI-driven misinformation, the case for attacking claims rather than people, and why fitness and wellness have become so tied to politics and tribalism. The back half turns to Tiller’s own late and reluctant embrace of social media as a tool, his book “The Health and Wellness Lie,” and closing thoughts on the reality of monetizing science communication and his parting advice to make time each night to focus your attention — to read.

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Chapters

0:00 Intro & business

5:00 Nick's path: sport science to skepticism

14:56 What scientific skepticism actually is

19:04 How non-experts took over wellness

28:21 Cynicism vs. skepticism

40:58 Measuring critical thinking

45:14 Which claims get scrutiny — and AI

49:38 Attack the claim, not the person

51:44 Why wellness became political

1:04:57 Rethinking social media

1:12:52 The book: "The Health and Wellness Lie"

1:24:24 Commodification & making time to read