The Wikipedia page says that:
“Bixonimania is a fake disease invented by researchers to
examine artificial intelligence and its ability to utilize information in
medical and healthcare applications. The disorder, with symptoms of sore eyes
and darkening around them (‘periorbital hyperpigmentation’), is supposedly
caused by blue light from screens.”
One article about it by Chris Stokel-Walker at Nature on April
7, 2026 is titled Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real.
A second article by Lucia Auerbach at Inc. on April 10, 2026 is titled Scientists
Invented a Fake Disease Caused by Blue Light – Now It’s in Medical Papers. And
it added:
“There were also dozens of easter eggs designed to clue
readers in to the fact that the condition was made up. The lead researcher,
Lazljiv Izgubljenovic, is a fake name and they work at a fake university,
Asteria Horizon University, in a fake town, Nova City, California. One paper’s
acknowledgements thanked ‘Professor Maria Bohm at The Starfleet Academy for her
kindness and generosity in contributing with her knowledge and her lab onboard
the USS Enterprise’. Both papers say they were funded by ‘the Professor
Sideshow Bob Foundation for its work in advanced trickery. This work is a part
of a larger funding initiative from the University of Fellowship of the Ring
and the Galactic Triad.’ “
Sideshow Bob (also known as Dr. Robert Terwilliger) is a cartoon
character - Bart Simpson’s nemesis in The Simpsons. A third article by Rebecca Watson at skepchick on April 15,
2026 is titled ChatBots are Diagnosing Diseases that Don’t Exist Based on
Blog Posts.
The doctor cartoon was adapted from OpenClipArt.
