Is the likely next US health secretary a crank? Trump’s appointment of conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr has alarmed medical experts. But some think, on certain issues, he may have a point.
The very strange beliefs of RFK Jr
Crazy: The outgoing US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, who grew up with her cousin RFK Jr (above), said his views on vaccines were dangerous, speaking earlier this morning at the National Press Club in Australia. Glossary
Pharmaceutical - Relating to medical drugs or the process of making them.
Conspiracy theorist - A person who believes that some secret but influential organisation is responsible for a particular event or phenomenon.
Democrat - A member of the Democratic party, the left-leaning US political party.
John F Kennedy - President of the US from 1961 to 1963, when he was shot dead in Dallas. He was the fourth American president to be assassinated; Abraham Lincoln was the first.
Autism - A condition characterised by difficulty in social interaction and communication. According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 160 children has an autism disorder.
WHO - Short for the World Health Organisation.
IQ - A means of measuring human intelligence. A person’s IQ is usually ascertained by making them sit a standardised test. Some have criticised these tests as a means of evaluating intelligence, claiming that they ignore much of what it means to be intelligent.
5G - Fifth generation mobile broadband. This is the latest broadband technology for mobile phones, and is estimated to be many times faster than the current 4G.
Conspiracy theory - An explanation for a phenomenon that centres around the actions of sinister, shadowy groups, where an absence of evidence can be interpreted as evidence of its truth.
Maverick - Someone who thinks and behaves in an unusual way.