Undermining science, by sowing seeds of doubt, has become standard operating procedure for corporations that produce products which may be harmful to our health. That’s according to David Michaels, a professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health. He says tobacco companies developed the playbook on how to question science, in order to fight government regulations. But their tactics have been imitated by plenty of other industries, from alcohol to fossil fuel to the NFL.

Michaels, author of “The Triumph of Doubt - Dark Money and the Science of Deception,” explains a strategy used to manipulate government leaders, which, he says, has even influenced our response to the coronavirus pandemic.