One of the idiotic conspiracy theories circulating about COVID-19 vaccines is that they are making people magnetic. Related is one that vaccines contain microchips which attract magnets.Â
Jack Goodman of the BBC spoke with a physicist who specializes in magnets to help debunk the vaccine magnetism stupidity.
It’s possible to make various substances stick to you temporarily. Increasing humidity in the Northern Hemisphere this time of year makes it easier. There’s a good reason why people refer to such weather as sticky.
I just got a US $1 coin to stick to my forehead for almost two minutes. The coin has no iron and isn’t magnetic. It’s 88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, and 2% nickel. It’s over a month since I just got my second dose of Pfizer. I almost certainly could have gotten that coin to stick to my forehead a month before my first dose.
If you see something on social media related to science or medicine that seems incredible, it almost certainly is lacking in credibility.
Before reposting possible pseudoscience or just plain bullshit, check with credible major news sites like the BBC, NPR, The Guardian, DW, CNN, CBC News, ABC Australia, France 24, or Radio New Zealand. Those are all free. There are also excellent sites behind paywalls such as the New York Times and Washington Post which you may be able to access free at libraries or schools.
No news organization is 100% perfect but they are absolutely more reliable than some semi-anonymous quack or hyperbolic influencer with a YouTube channel, TikTok account, or Facebook page.
Spreading bullshit about vaccines can cost lives and delay our return to normalcy.
