Loud noises and ... trace minerals? Let's break down a new study examining an important contributor to age-related hearing loss. Spoiler alert: stocking up on zinc supplements is not the solution.
Harm Reduction
In the crowded market of wellness supplements, ARMRA Colostrum claims to offer a scientifically backed solution. However, a closer look reveals a familiar pattern of marketing tactics using buzzwords and bold claims. Despite touting transparency and scientific rigor, the evidence, as usual, falls short.
Arsenic has a well-deserved reputation as a poison; in ancient times it was known as the “Poison of Kings and the King of Poisons.” But arsenic, an element found naturally in soil, air, and drinking water, also has beneficial uses. How should we think about arsenic in terms of human health?
Since the beginning of the modern environmental movement in the 1970s, air pollution has been defined as the debasement of the outdoor ambient air. That movement has been a resounding success. Accompanying these benefits has been the recognition that the indoor environment is now relatively more important. The EPA has responded with citizen advisory programs but little information on indoor risk or remediations.
Lars Larson and I discussed on-air the declining rates of vaccination, as reported by both the World Health Organization and in FDA Commissioner Robert Califf's recent article about a potential tipping point in U.S. vaccinations.
Far too many scientific papers are being retracted from prestigious scientific journals because scientists fabricated or falsified data. Although no one defends scientific fraud, few recognize its long-lasting impacts on governmental policy and society.
Both ethanol and THC have been shown to impair driving. But ethanol has a far shorter half-life than THC, making a determination of when a person became intoxicated by THC far less clear. A new study reduces that uncertainty.
Oregonians are having second thoughts about their decision to decriminalize drugs three years ago. They blame it for the state’s recent rise in overdose deaths. But a closer look at the data shows that Oregon has fared no worse than other states did when the fentanyl wave breached its borders.
Here's an article I co-authored with Emily Hemendinger for The Conversation. You can find the original version at the link at the bottom of the article.
One of the most salient features of the communication around the COVID epidemic has been fear. This includes the fears of public health officials in trying to flatten the curve. And the equally-fearful messaging of proponents of the Great Barrington Declaration or the anti-vaxxers, who say that our economy was being destroyed and our minds and bodies were being controlled. A study delves into the dynamics of communication, particularly focusing on the role of fear and warnings.
News reports say that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working hard to regain the public’s trust after the COVID failures, by pledging to put science ahead of politics. However, its recent announcement that doctors may want to test their patients’ blood for PFAS – the “forever chemicals” – is a step back from scientifically-driven decisions.
Scaling often refers to the ability of a system, application, or network to handle an increasing amount of work, users, or data. Scalability in human behavior considers how individual actions aggregate to form group dynamics, social institutions, and even global phenomena. As we continue to urbanize and our cities grow larger, it is increasingly vital to understand not just the use of resources but the creation of waste.