1/ So here's the thing, when we're talking about #SciComm (or any public comm), some nuance is necessarily lost because we're trying to remove the irrationality of human behaviour and focus on the facts/science.

2/ People do a lot of dangerous things or inadvisable things (from a health perspective) that, when they only impact them, are really their decision to make.

3/ #VaccinesSaveLives #VaccinesAreSafeAndEffective. That's the message. We're obviously talking about standard, well tested, vaccines. Anyone arguing adjunct semantics is only proving the main thesis.

4/ #Smoking is bad. Obviously. This isn't a discussion point on how to discuss smoking cessation in clinical practice. It's not behavioral psychology or patient care. (NB: nobody actually provides patient care in Twitter).

5/ #Masks4All. C'mon folks.The message isn't "Create a mask police task force". The point is to improve awareness and increase the overall usage rates.

6/ #PhysicalDistancing. Again, IN GENERAL. I was walking to work and a guy was stuck in mud in his wheelchair and his wife couldn't get him out. OF COURSE I helped!

7/ #Homeopathy doesn't work. "But it worked for me". Omg. Great. I'm happy for you. This is about the science though. I'm not going to run and RIP IT out of your hands. Relax.

8/ The WHOLE point is to make sure that scientists, health professionals, experts are not just holed up in their offices and labs but are accessible to the public. Otherwise misinformation (and disinformation) runs completely rampant.

9/ If your response to a piece of #SciComm is that you respect people's right for choice then you're either ignoring/not understanding the point of the message or actively trying to undermine it.

10/ Just like I tell my kids to look both ways when crossing the road.

"But dad, there are no cars on the road".

1) They're ignoring the potential risk

2) kids running carelessly across traffic routes is a bad idea, but in practice kids cross roads all the time.

10/ Humans are irrational. Humans make random decisions. That's just our nature. All we're trying to do is communicate the best/most optimal way of reducing risk.