Stephan Lewandowsky
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lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky
@lewan.bsky.social
19K followers 1.8K following 4.6K posts

Professor of Cognitive Science, University of Bristol. Homepage: https://www.lewan.uk

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Stephan Lewandowsky is an Australian psychologist. He has worked in both the United States and Australia, and is currently based at the University of Bristol, UK, where he is the chair of cognitive psychology at the School of Psychological Science. His research, which originally pertained to computer simulations of people's decision-making processes, recently has focused on the public's understanding of science and why people often embrace beliefs that are sharply at odds with scientific evidence. .. more

Neuroscience 23%
Sociology 19%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 16h
This is coming up and I thought I'd boost it again with the little test tube icon: 🧪
lewan.bsky.social Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d
As autocratization proceeds in the U.S. and elsewhere, it's time for a stock-take. Where are we, where are we going? What works? What might work better? Nearly 6 months after we published the Anti-Autocracy Handbook sks.to/autocracy the SciBeh team is hosting its next big event ....

1/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 1d
What next? Several lawsuits are already underway against RFK Jr, and some medical professional bodies have started speaking out against his attempts to elevate a scientific hoax (which is what the autism scare is based on) above actual science. We shall see... to be continued.
6/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 1d
Pretty much all of this is plain wrong. Very wrong. Not much nuance here if you know the literature at all.

If you want the details, I went through some of them recently in Science: doi.org/10.1126/scie...
5/6
Public health suffers when those in power dismiss knowledge
“Knowledge is power”—or at least it was when Sir Francis Bacon coined this phrase in the 16th century. In today’s world, we frequently encounter a different variant of this philosophy, perhaps best described as “power dismisses knowledge.” We need look ...
doi.org

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 1d
Here it is, the topsy-turvy upside-down world of what used to be a reliable scientific institution: www.cdc.gov/vaccine-...

4/6
Autism and Vaccines Questions and Concerns | Page 2 of 9 | All pages For Everyone Nov. 19, 2025 Key points The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism. Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities. HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 1d
Now it is 2025. And as of a few days ago, the CDC website has seemingly been taken over by Twitter cranks because scientific information has been replaced by outright disinformation -- that is, information that has been verifiably debunked over and over again. Without much room for ambiguity.
3/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 1d
The paper started out with "Imagine a world in which it is not medical knowledge but a free-for-all opinion market on Twitter that determines whether a newly emergent strain of avian flu is really contagious to humans. This dystopian future is still just that—a possible future."

That was 2017

2/6
General Audience SummaryImagine a world that considers knowledge to be “elitist.” Imagine a world in which it is not medical knowledgebut a free-for-all opinion market on Twitter that determines whether a newly emergent strain of avian flu isreally contagious to humans. This dystopian future is still just that—a possible future. However, there are signsthat public discourse is evolving in this direction: terms such as “post-truth” and “fake news,” largely unknown until 2016, have exploded into media and public discourse. This article explores the growing abundance of misinformation in the public sphere, how it influences people, and how to counter it. We show how misinformation can have an adverse impact on society, for example by predisposing parents to make disadvantageous medical decisions for their children. We argue that for countermeasures to be effective, they must be informed by the larger political, technological, and societal context.

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 1d
A little retrospective can be helpful at times to work out what has been happening and what was knowable. Let's travel back in time to 2017 (~8 years ago) when I was lead author on a paper about the post-truth world. doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

1/6
Beyond Misinformation: Understanding and Coping with the“Post-Truth” EraStephan Lewandowsky∗University of Bristol, United KingdomUniversity of Western Australia, AustraliaUllrich K.H. EckerUniversity of Western Australia, AustraliaJohn CookGeorge Mason University, United StatesThe terms “post-truth” and “fake news” have become increasingly prevalent in public discourse over the last year.This article explores the growing abundance of misinformation, how it influences people, and how to counter it.We examine the ways in which misinformation can have an adverse impact on society. We summarize how peoplerespond to corrections of misinformation, and what kinds of corrections are most effective. We argue that to beeffective, scientific research into misinformation must be considered within a larger political, technological, andsocietal context. The post-truth world emerged as a result of societal mega-trends such as a decline in social capital,growing economic inequality, increased polariza

Reposted by Sonia Livingstone, Stephan Lewandowsky, Steve Peers , and 1 more

ec.europa.eu
European Commission @ec.europa.eu · 1d
The EU has published a world-first risk landscape report under the #DSA.

It flags systemic risks on big platforms — from illegal content to generative AI— and tracks how platforms are addressing them.

More transparency. More accountability.
A safer online space for all.

link.europa.eu/NKM4yd
A ring of yellow stars and icons (including a bell, a lock, a magnifying glass, and several with 'no' symbols) on a purple background with binary code overlaid. Text reads: "DIGITAL SERVICES ACT. First report on the most prominent and recurrent systemic risks on very large online platforms."

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Luke Moffett, Geneviève Gore

eliothiggins.bsky.social
Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 1d
If you're looking for a Sunday morning read, our website team spent a lot of time writing code to make the animations on this article work, so give it a look, will ya?
www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-...
Building on Ruins: The Russification of Mariupol, One Apartment Block at a Time - bellingcat
Bellingcat has identified 23 multi-storey housing complexes being built in occupied Mariupol and advertised for sale to Russian citizens.
www.bellingcat.com

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Elizabeth Stokoe , and 3 more

martinmckee.bsky.social
Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 1d
Powerful piece by @drrachelclarke.com on the COVID inquiry. Those who say it’s easy to be wise in hindsight are being utterly disingenuous. Many of us spoke out at the time, and it’s in the public record.
@independentsage.bsky.social

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
I’ll never forget the horror of the Covid wards | The Observer
observer.co.uk

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d
Join us to share experiences, learn from others, and co-create the next phase of our shared effort to defend scholarship and democratic values.

6/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d

Participants in this first summit will help shape the strategic agenda for the online workshops and the Barcelona event—deciding together which themes, tools, and collaborations can most effectively strengthen academic resilience and collective action.
5/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d
Our goal is to connect existing initiatives, identify synergies, and build a sustainable community over the coming months through 2 further online workshops (Q1 2026) leading to an in-person event at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention in Barcelona on 27 May 2026.

4/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d
This first meeting in a new SciBeh series will convene scientists, academics, researchers, and science communicators who are actively working—or wish to work—against autocratic backsliding and its corrosive effects on scholarship.

3/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d
.. the Anti-Autocracy Summit on Thursday 4 December | 14:00–18:00 UK (15:00–19:00 CET, 9 am–1 pm EST, 6 am–10 am PST).

Details here: www.scibeh.org/event....

2/6

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 3d
As autocratization proceeds in the U.S. and elsewhere, it's time for a stock-take. Where are we, where are we going? What works? What might work better? Nearly 6 months after we published the Anti-Autocracy Handbook sks.to/autocracy the SciBeh team is hosting its next big event ....

1/6

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, James M. Bullock

gretchentg.bsky.social
Gretchen Goldman, PhD @gretchentg.bsky.social · 4d
Today: Join me, @lewan.bsky.social, and @ucs.org colleagues to discuss how the scientific community can push back against the growing authoritarian threat and stand up for our democracy.

secure.ucs.org/a/2025-11-20...
How Scientists Can Stand Up for Democracy
The Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to a virtual science advocacy training on how the scientific community can push back against the growing authoritarian threat and stand up for our democra...
secure.ucs.org

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 5d
Looking forward to my webinar tomorrow (Thursday) for the Union of Concerned Scientists on how scientists can cope with autocratization:
How Scientists Can Stand Up for Democracy
The Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to a virtual science advocacy training on how the scientific community can push back against the growing authoritarian threat and stand up for our democracy. Thursday, November 20, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET.
secure.ucs.org

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky

govpressoffice.gov.ca.gov
Governor Newsom Press Office @govpressoffice.gov.ca.gov · 6d
Good night, little piggy.

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Sander van der Linden, Victor Pickard

commscholar.bsky.social
Michelle Amazeen @commscholar.bsky.social · 6d
🎉 Excited to share that Content Confusion publishes today! It dives into how news orgs & advertisers—including fossil fuels—blur journalism & ads, fueling disinfo & distrust. Available now! Use code MITP30 today for 30% off at MIT Press. Thanks for the support! 🙏
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255360...
Content Confusion
We often blame social media for the rampant problem of disinformation, but mainstream news media is also at fault. Not only do news outlets disguise paid con...
mitpress.mit.edu

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 6d
So the Trump regime is now finishing what the Nazis didn’t get around to. And the British government is eagerly copying the script. But I am sure some sophisticates will normalize it all and urge us to be reasonable.

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Alison Phipps, John Foot , and 5 more

zackpolanski.bsky.social
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 7d
A Government of cowards.

Rather than tackle inequality - they've gone for pensioners, disabled people and now it's people fleeing war and persecution.

They can't get away with this.

Join.greenparty.org.uk

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
Yes. Happening as we speak.

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
Sigh. Maybe the poor guy was desperate? Does this really warrant a story?

Reposted by Christina Pagel

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
The intent of the Summit is to take stock of anti-autocratic measures to date and assess how well they fared, and to plan future actions. All interest parties are welcome to register at bristolexppsych.eu.q...
4/4
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
bristolexppsych.eu.qualtrics.com

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Christina Pagel

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
We are also pleased to announce our "anti-autocracy summit" planned for 4 December. Details here: www.scibeh.org/event...

3/4

Reposted by Christina Pagel

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
We are delighted to announce the first two translations of the Handbook, into German and Italian. They are available through our portal: sks.to/autocracy

2/4

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, A. E. Dessler, Winnifred R. Louis , and 2 more

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
In light of the assault on American science by its own government that launched in January this year, we published the Anti-Autocracy Handbook in June to provide some guidance to scholars about how to respond to an emerging autocracy. The handbook is available at: sks.to/autocracy. 1/n

1/4

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Jan W. Mueller, Stephan Lewandowsky , and 26 more

oliviamesser.bsky.social
Olivia Messer @oliviamesser.bsky.social · 7d
79-year-old Paul Bojerski was born to Polish parents in a WWII German refugee camp. His family legally emigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.

He’s been taken by ICE in Florida.

www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/s...
Sanford grandfather, born in refugee camp, nabbed by ICE after 70 years in U.S.
Paul Bojerski never gained official residency, but he checked in regularly with ICE for years. Then in July, at age 79, he was detained and sent to Alligator Alcatraz.
www.orlandosentinel.com

lewan.bsky.social
Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.bsky.social · 7d
Point taken. But the question is whether they take less time than consuming the information in its entirety? I would argue that this is indeed the case, in which case you are still ahead.