John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 06/05/2026Just published a new paper in Environmental Communication with interdisciplinary team where we identified the logical fallacies in a comprehensive taxonomy of climate myths. Paper (paywalled) is at www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10...., free pre-press manuscript is at sks.to/deconstructc... 32710
Reposted by John CookStephan Lewandowsky @lewan.uk · 23/04/2026It has been nearly a year since we released our Anti-Autocracy Handbook sks.to/autocracy. Our team of authors includes @karmaos.bsky.social @drsunitasah Prof Christina Pagel Renee DiResta Philipp Markolin John Cook 1/5 13113
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 12/04/2026Watched movie Einstein & Eddington today. Eddington (David Tennant) empirically confirms theory of general relativity by Einstein (Andy Serkis). At end, Eddington gives speech about time being relative. Wife comments to me "he's right, for you the movie was 5 minutes long, for me it was 5 hours." 0120
Reposted by John CookSkeptical Science @skepticalscience.bsky.social · 09/04/2026It was a big team effort to get the "SkS Experiment" set up, run it and then turn it into published research! @johnfocook.bsky.social, @baerbelw.bsky.social, @collinmaessen.bsky.social, Timo Lubitz, Doug Bostrom & @dananuccitelli.bsky.social Here is the link again: gc.copernicus.org/articles/9/1...gc.copernicus.org 041
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 09/04/2026We just published a paper in Geoscience Communication where we measure the impact of reading climate myth rebuttals at bsky.app/profile/skep... - technically challenging research with some nuanced, complex results gc.copernicus.org/articles/9/1...gc.copernicus.orgQuantifying the impact of Skeptical Science rebuttals in reducing climate misperceptionsAbstract. Misinformation about climate change leads to societal damage in a number of ways and consequently, resources are required to support interventions that counter their influence. Aiming to mee... 1136
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Uber-Tolkien nerd @colbertlateshow.bsky.social (which I've always admired him for) disses us for taking Lord of the Rings too seriously. Fair comment but we regret nothing! youtu.be/MMueOnpeAVA?...youtu.beMeanwhile... Middle Earth Weather Report | Clooney's Near-Beer | Why Cats Land On Their FeetYouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 041
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Had a chaotic & fun conversation with Joy Radio about our paper on building climate models of fantasy worlds. I accidentally insulted John Saffron for only reading The Hobbit but otherwise, think it went ok :-| joy.org.au/saturdaymaga...joy.org.auSat, 21st March, 2026: John Cook, Snr Research Fellow, School of Psychological Sciences, MelbUni; Do Middle‑earth and Westeros Make Sense?John Cook, Snr Research Fellow, School of Psychological Sciences, MelbUni; Do Middle‑earth and Westeros Make Sense? 041
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 11/03/2026Just published an article about our paper in @fafnirjournal.bsky.social describing how climate models were used to simulate fantasy worlds like Middle-earth & Westeros as well as for a new world I've developed for a cli-fi fantasy story theconversation.com/do-middle-ea...theconversation.comDo Middle-earth and Westeros make sense? Climate scientists modelled them to find outIt’s a seemingly whimsical exercise, but it serves serious purposes. 34614
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Had a great, in-depth conversation with @tgspodcast.bsky.social about climate misinformation (with an interesting digression at the end into my latest climate communication obsession: climate fiction). www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/212-...thegreatsimplification.comWhy Science Communication Fails: How to Break Down Misleading Arguments and Inoculate Against Misinformation - The Great SimplificationIn this episode, Nate is joined by John Cook, a researcher who has spent nearly two decades studying science communication and the psychology of misinformation. 0157
Reposted by John CookDan Lunt @climatesamwell.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Recently published in Fafnir - the Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy: "Climate Models as a Retroactive and Exploratory World-building Tool" fafnir.journal.fi/article/view... Thanks to @johnfocook.bsky.social @climatedann.bsky.social and Alex and Michael Farnsworth. 2358
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 10/12/2025Want to test how good you are at recognising authors? Fill out this (anonymous) survey, checking authors you recognise but also avoiding checking fake authors (purpose is to measure which authors are too well known or not known at all) q.surveys.unimelb.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_...q.surveys.unimelb.edu.auQualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience ManagementThe most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today. 010
Reposted by John CookDana Nuccitelli @dananuccitelli.bsky.social · 07/11/2025I talked to @johnfocook.bsky.social about dealing with climate misinformation, and he recommended learning about the common techniques that bad actors use to distort facts: Fake experts Logical fallacies Impossible expectations Cherry-picking Conspiracy theories or FLICC, for short (4/11)skepticalscience.comA history of FLICC: the 5 techniques of science denialIn 2007, Mark Hoofnagle suggested on his Science Blog Denialism that denialists across a range of topics such as climate change, evolution, & HIV/AIDS all employed the same rhetorical tactics to sow c... 2245
Reposted by John CookDana Nuccitelli @dananuccitelli.bsky.social · 07/11/2025Joe Rogan has one of the world's most popular podcasts. Unfortunately, like nearly all of the most popular online shows, his tends to spread climate misinformation. For @climateconnections.bsky.social I scrutinize his recent episode with octogenarian climate contrarians Lindzen & Happer 🧵 (1/11)yaleclimateconnections.orgFive ways Joe Rogan misleads listeners about climate change » Yale Climate ConnectionsRogan exposes millions to climate denial. Let’s break down his tactics. 13270101
Reposted by John CookUllrich Ecker @ulliecker.bsky.social · 31/10/2025Happy to share a new paper (accepted at J Environ Psych), led by the amazing @emilyspearing.bsky.social Black Summer Arson: Examining the Impact of Climate Misinformation and Corrections on Reasoning osf.io/preprints/ps... @johnfocook.bsky.social @lewan.bsky.social @profsanderlinden.bsky.socialosf.ioOSF 2258
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 14/10/2025Proud to have contributed to the blockbuster new volume Climate Obstruction: A Global Assessment, documenting the many, many ways that corporations & orgs try to block climate action. Comprehensive, global in scope, authors from all over the world & the ebook version is FREE cssn.org/news-researc...cssn.orgGlobal Assessment - Brown Climate Social Science NetworkClimate advocacy has not failed, climate policy has been sabotaged, explains a new open access book, Climate Obstruction: A Global Assessment. 23620
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 14/10/2025Fun random statistic - our 2013 paper finding 97% scientific consensus on human-caused global warming just went past 1.5 million downloads (which is not a bad number for an academic paper) iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1... 1378
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 08/10/2025Excited to lead a University of Melbourne submission to the Senate inquiry on climate misinformation and also speak to @readfearn.bsky.social at @australia.theguardian.com about the trends in climate misinformation & how to counter it www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...theguardian.comMedia and political attacks on Australia’s emissions targets ‘straight out of the climate obstruction playbook’, expert saysProf Christian Downie points to the Business Council of Australia and News Corp newspapers as examples of deliberate obstruction 1104
Reposted by John CookClimate Social Science Network @cssn.org · 22/09/2025Experts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social @aronczyk.bsky.social and @johnfocook.bsky.social speak with @trackchangesmedia.bsky.social on the rising threat of climate disinformation in the media, solutions misinformation, and the attack on climate science and scientists themselves. 22616
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 17/09/2025The Debunking Handbook 2020 has now been translated into Basque, making it the 21st translation of this influential guide to the psychological research into debunking misinformation. Many thanks to translator Laida Arbizu Aguirre and Wendy Cook for typesetting sks.to/db2020 063
Reposted by John CookAmy Westervelt @amywestervelt.bsky.social · 16/09/2025If you're a @drilledmedia.bsky.social listener you know I think social scientists are key sources if we want to understand why governments haven't acted on climate. So imagine my nerd delight to get my hands on an incredible new batch of research on climate obstruction. drilled.media/podcasts/dri...drilled.mediaWelcome to the World of ObstructionInvestigating the obstacles to action on climate change. 414360
Reposted by John CookAndrew Dessler @andrewdessler.com · 02/09/2025Our 400+ page comment on the DOE climate working group report is now out. Our conclusion: The merchants of doubt are back, and they're coming for climate science.sites.google.comDOEresponseSiteOn July 29, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a report from its Climate Working Group (CWG). This report features prominently in the EPA's reconsideration of its 2009 Endangerment Finding. In response, over 85 scientists have come together to write a comprehensive review, which is 17449222
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 16/07/2025Spoke to @katieyoder.bsky.social about the very disturbing development of the Trump administration disappearing climate reports and data, taking climate denial to an unseen level grist.org/language/tru...grist.orgWhy the federal government is making climate data disappearUnder Trump, climate denial has given way to something even more dangerous: climate erasure. 21510
Reposted by John CookRuth Mottram @ruthmottram.eurosky.social · 15/07/2025"you need to make it cheap and easy for people to make the switch. If it’s expensive, most people won’t do it. If it’s difficult or inconvenient, then forget it." www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/the-false-...sustainabilitybynumbers.comThe false dichotomy of systemic and individual behaviour changeIndividuals aren't going to solve climate change, but they are an important part of the system that will get us there. 072
Reposted by John CookStephan Lewandowsky @lewan.uk · 04/07/2025Great coverage of our Anti-Autocracy Handbook by Bob Berwyn: insideclimatenews.org/news/0407202... . It's difficult to make autocracy seem funny but the White House managed to produce a hilarious comment @ninajankowicz.com @noupside.bsky.social @chrischirp.bsky.social @philippmarkolin.bsky.socialinsideclimatenews.orgNew Handbook Aims to Protect Scientists From Autocratic Threats - Inside Climate NewsScientists, experts say, need to help protect democracy, “the system of government in which science, health and humanity are most likely to thrive.” 35924
Reposted by John CookPaula Gori @goripaula.bsky.social · 02/07/2025We had a great first training module on climate disinformation ! Today we looked at the phenomenon Thursday next week (10 July) we will focus on solutions with @johnfocook.bsky.social , @lewan.bsky.social and @simofons.bsky.social #disinformation #climateaction #climatechange #edmoEU 093
Reposted by John CookEuropean Digital Media Observatory @edmo-eu.bsky.social · 01/07/2025Reminder: register by 3 July, 17:00 CEST, and join us as we zoom in on effective responses to #climate #disinformation with: 🔸 @lewan.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social 🔸 @johnfocook.bsky.social @mcbc-unimelb.bsky.social 🔸 @simofons.bsky.social @facta.news 🗓️ 10 July, 10:00-11:30 🔗 loom.ly/G3FV_VQ 074
Reposted by John CookMadhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 19/06/2025Autocracies often follow a common playbook, built around the “3 Ps”: populism, polarization, and post-truth This handbook highlights both historic and contemporary measures aimed at attacking scholars, their institutional environments, and their scholarship zenodo.org/records/1569... 04217
Reposted by John CookStephan Lewandowsky @lewan.uk · 19/06/2025I am privileged to announce the publication of the Anti-Autocracy Handbook: sks.to/autocracy 1/12sks.toThe Anti-Autocracy Handbook: A Scholars' Guide to Navigating Democratic BackslidingThe Anti-Autocracy Handbook is a call to action, resilience, and collective defence of democracy, truth, and academic freedom in the face of mounting authoritarianism. It tries to provide guidance to ... 20833462
Reposted by John CookStephan Lewandowsky @lewan.uk · 19/06/2025Fantastic team of authors comprising relevant experts and several scholars who have lived under autocracy, including: @karmaos.bsky.social @profsunitasah.bsky.social @chrischirp.bsky.social @ninajankowicz.com @noupside.bsky.social @philippmarkolin.bsky.social @johnfocook.bsky.social 3/12 16515
Reposted by John CookEuropean Digital Media Observatory @edmo-eu.bsky.social · 11/06/2025📣 Join our Training Series on #Climate #Disinformation! 7️⃣ expert trainers 2️⃣ online sessions 1️⃣ pressing challenge This series is open to all stakeholders working to tackle disinformation & #climatepolicy experts interested in questions on climate disinformation. 👉 Learn more at loom.ly/aNrZHiM. 286
Reposted by John CookNgarrngga @ngarrngga.bsky.social · 03/06/2025To conclude Reconciliation Week, Ngarrngga hosted a Debunking Myths seminar with Dr @johnfocook.bsky.social with Faculty of Education staff members. We learnt to apply research and specific methodologies to misinformation about Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples. #NRW2025 011
Reposted by John CookThe Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health @docsforclimate.bsky.social · 15/05/2025With the rampant spread of mis- and disinformation, how can health professionals fight back with the truth? @johnfocook.bsky.social joined @lisapatel.bsky.social for a new episode of Healthy Climate America to explore this question and more. Listen here: bit.ly/HealthyClimateAmerca 12811
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 01/05/2025Excited to present a workshop on misinfo at the “Listen, Engage, Connect: Explore the Science Communication Arena” Summer School at the University of Geneva. Runs from June 23-27. Ideal for students, early-career researchers, science communicators. Register before 31 May at bit.ly/scicomm25bit.lyGeneva Summer Schools • Listen, Engage, Connect: Explore The Science Communication Arena 042
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 14/04/2025I was recently invited to participate in an expert meeting on climate misinformation in the U.S. After much thought and talking to colleagues, I regretfully declined. Like many academics, I consider the U.S. not a safe country to visit atm. Sadly the meeting is in-person, no virtual option :-( 88919
Reposted by John CookSkeptical Science @skepticalscience.bsky.social · 03/04/2025In February 2025, @johnfocook.bsky.social gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. The 1st webinar focused on the history of this scientific consensus, the 2nd on the misinformation spread about it. skepticalscience.com/webinars-con... 02410
Reposted by John CookSkeptical Science @skepticalscience.bsky.social · 19/03/2025Fact brief #29: Q: "Is waste heat from industrial activity the reason the planet is warming?" A: "No - Waste heat’s contribution to global warming is a small fraction of that brought about by carbon dioxide. [...]" sks.to/gfb-waste?ut... All fact briefs: sks.to/gfb?utm-sour... 064
Reposted by John CookSkeptical Science @skepticalscience.bsky.social · 09/03/2025With the addition of Catalan, Croatian and Indonesian the Cranky Uncle game can now be played in 16 languages! Thanks to the translator teams across the globe who make these translations possible! @johnfocook.bsky.social @goodbeast.bsky.social sks.to/crankyml?utm... #activeinoculation 3217
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 27/02/2025Am about to give a free online talk on countering misinformation about the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming (and misinformation in general). You can register at republicen.org/consensus (this webinar will be recorded & posted on the RepublicEN Youtube channel)republicen.org 0104
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 20/02/2025In a few moments, I'm giving a free online talk on my and others' research into quantifying the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming. You can register at republicen.org/consensus (this webinar will be recorded & posted on the RepublicEN Youtube channel)republicen.org*Webinar* BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change - republicEn 091
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 20/02/2025Tomorrow, I'm giving a free webinar about the scientific consensus on climate change. It's part 1 of a 2-part series (part 1 on the history of consensus, part 2 on countering misinformation about consensus). The event is organised by RepublicEN, you can register at republicen.org/consensusrepublicen.org*Webinar* BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change - republicEn 02311
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 13/02/2025This cartoon parodies the (false) argument that Greenland used to be green so human-caused global warming isn't real. The only relevance it has to recent news is it also involves ridiculous alternative names for Greenland (IMO Icesheetia or Spectaculonia are still better than Red, White & Blueland) 1101
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 12/02/2025What fossil fuel knew vs. what fossil fuel did @geoffreysupran.bsky.social @naomioreskes.bsky.social 1187
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 02/02/2025My cartoon on the questionable practise of trusting winter predictions to a groundhog when scientists’ climate predictions are called into question. Almost as questionable as my drawing of a groundhog! 0356
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 20/01/2025Jill Hopke writes on the sad state of affairs on Facebook where the platform opts out of fact-checking so the onus is now on users to push back against misinformation theconversation.com/climate-misi...theconversation.comClimate misinformation is rife on social media – and poised to get worseMeta’s decision could open the floodgates to more climate misinformation on its apps, including misleading or out-of-context claims during disasters. 0173
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 16/01/2025A cartoon on how people cherry pick among experts (and fake experts) until they find one saying what they want to believe. Incidentally, all the scientists here are caricatures of real scientists (although @simondonner.bsky.social's hair no longer looks like that, sadly for caricaturists). 26921
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 15/01/2025When creating Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change, I emailed Ben Santer asking if I could use his likeness to depict the strengthening scientific consensus on human-caused global warming. Later, I attended a DC talk by Ben. He saw me & apologetically confessed he was using that cartoon. I was chuffed! 1255
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 13/01/2025Whether it's wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, drought, whenever we're devastated by extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, we are shooshed by climate deniers. It's another attempt to delay action on climate change and is making our world more dangerous. 18435
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 09/01/2025Spoke to @sammyroth.bsky.social at LA Times about the new TV series Landman - a show about Texas oil fields that's peppered with pro-fossil-fuel and anti-renewable energy misinformation. Spoiler alert if you're watching (I'm only halfway thru so I got spoiled) www.latimes.com/environment/...latimes.comColumn: Taylor Sheridan's 'Landman' needs less fossil fuel propagandaThe new Paramount+ show is riveting, but politically biased. Give us real climate culture war drama. 22312
John Cook @johnfocook.bsky.social · 08/01/2025As we're about to enter a U.S. administration determined to decimate climate science & climate action, let's reminisce bittersweet over the times when a President supported & amplified climate science (not to mention highlight our 97% scientific consensus study). 081