There is no doubt that raising the price of sugary beverages by increasing the tax reduces consumption. A new study once again looks at how price impacts demand. Whether this reduction in consumption has the desired outcome of improving health remains unknown and frankly unstudied.

Remember when the term "designer drug" was used in the 1980s? One of the drugs included in that group was called 3-methylfentanyl, aka, mefentanyl. Although not widely used, it killed groups of people who tried it. Fast forward 4 decades and it's now one of the 30 fentanyl analogs that are responsible for the fentanyl crisis. And it's also one of the worst. What a difference a methyl group can make.

Around 7,000 individuals are bitten by snakes annually in the US, with only the tiniest fractions (0.02%) dying – others suffer amputations or continuing disability. [1] Snake anti-venom is largely responsible for saving these individuals. But as with many problems, snake bites are a “neglected” disease elsewhere in our world.

Puritans – not in a good way, nightsoil, wellness, and a tasty side-dish of my own authoring.

Electric vehicles require very large lithium batteries – some even believe Tesla is more a battery than a car company. In any event, as an article in Wired points out, no good deed goes unpunished. What do we do with batteries at the end of their life?

A new study finds that if you vape and then quit, you're more likely to suffer a fracture than if you currently vape. The authors say their results suggest that e-cigarettes pose a risk to bone health. What sense does that make? Very little. Let's take a closer look at the paper.

All types of arguments are made to refute: a study; bad measurements; flawed analysis; and the insidious evil intent (or at least bias). A new analysis seeks to describe conflicted interests. (Spoiler alert for those ready to blame Big Pharma, Big Device, and prescribers. They are only the tip of the iceberg.)

Disease-resistant grapes are among the many genetically engineered plants that have yet to be commercialized. They would help the wine industry cut its pesticide use and expand production, lowering costs for both winemakers and consumers. Why haven't these GE grapes been approved?

President Biden is proposing that hearing aids be a covered expense under Medicare. Some Medicare Advantage policies cover it. It's time to pull some information together, my fellow citizen-scientists, to help inform our thinking.

Kudos to Dr. Josh Bloom for persistently and valiantly beating the drum against blaming prescription opiates for the “opioid epidemic.” Sometimes battling windmills isn’t for naught.