evidence: The paper was published by an exercise physiologist with no academic connection to Stanford University or the NIH in a journal that accepts "radical, speculative and non-mainstream scientific ideas." [...] In November 2020, that journal published a paper that argued using face masks to prevent COVID-19 transmission does not work and, further, that face masks cause "hypoxia, hypercapnia, shortness of breath, increased acidity and toxicity, activation of fear and stress response, rise in stress hormones, immunosuppression, fatigue, headaches, decline in cognitive performance, predisposition for viral and infectious illnesses, chronic stress, anxiety and depression." The paper joins the storied ranks of other Medical Hypotheses articles including those arguing that masturbation is a cure for nasal congestion, that the Gulf War syndrome is caused by a beef allergy, and that high heels cause schizophrenia. Despite this journal's lack of traditional peer review and its unique editorial philosophy, the face-mask paper has been billed as authoritative empirical evidence against mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic. These sources attempt to impart further credibility to the ideas presented by describing this paper as a "Stanford study" or an "NIH study," referring to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.