In the high-stakes laboratories of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Nairobi, microbiologist Joanne Hassan spends her days testing virus samples and fortifying the nation against disease. However, her most grueling work often unfolds away from the microscope. Back in 2007, as a new mother seeking connection, she joined online parenting groups, only to discover that these digital spaces were becoming hotbeds for vaccine misinformation. What started as a personal effort to correct misconceptions in her social feeds—fighting “fires” ignited by dangerous rumors—eventually evolved into a sophisticated, nationwide movement. Hassan realized that scientists had a moral imperative to step…

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has become a focal point for intense psychological narratives, with Moscow-aligned media outlets increasingly pushing the idea that Western nations are intentionally prolonging the fighting. A recent interview with retired Russian lieutenant general Leonid Reshetnikov suggests that the West is attempting to bait Russia into a direct, large-scale confrontation with NATO. By framing the conflict as a “viscous” standoff, these propagandists argue that the West has no interest in peace, seeking instead to drain Russian resources over several years. This rhetoric is designed to manufacture a sense of urgency, pressuring global observers to believe that…