A web of altered neurochemical pathways and physical brain changes result in post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The interplay between cortisol dysregulation, heightened norepinephrine levels, and structural alterations in key brain regions make some individuals more susceptible to PTSD than others.

Fatigue, sometimes profound, is one of the most common and debilitating features of long COVID. Its presence predicts far worse clinical outcomes, as evidenced by deaths and hospitalizations, than patients without fatigue.

Unlike previous public health emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic had unmistakably partisan overtones. Politics exerted an unhealthy influence on how governments, scientists, reporters and ordinary Americans responded as SARS-CoV-2 swept across the world and upended our lives for the better part of four years. What went wrong and what can we learn from it?

Researchers examining the city's water system have produced some concerning data. Meanwhile, there's no reason anyone’s drinking water should be contaminated with lead. However, other than raising awareness of the problem, this study does little other than stir the water.

The EPA is moving farther and farther away from producing science-driven outcomes. Its final rule for regulating ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizers demonstrates how EPA is ignoring best scientific practices in its quest to advance the Administration’s dual agenda of “cancer moonshot” and environmental justice. 

This ancient warning resonates today as measles, a highly contagious and once nearly eradicated viral illness, experiences a resurgence. Fueled by misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, recent years have seen a troubling increase in cases, threatening the progress of public health efforts.

In this week’s literary voyage, navigating the treacherous waters of government surveillance, the depths of human behavior, where the Shirky principle holds sway, the tempest of emotional and practical conversations, and confront the storm clouds looming over whether renewables shall be our salvation or the harbingers of a gridlocked fate.,

On March 26th, the Supreme Court will convene to determine the availability of the abortion drug mifepristone. The cases also challenge the state’s right to regulate the health and safety of its constituents (its ‘police power’). But that’s not all that’s at stake.

William "Bill" Post, who recently passed away at age 96, may not ring a lot of bells, but his invention sure does. Post is credited with the invention of Pop-Tarts. The little devils were first marketed in 1964 but even after 60 years, they remain wildly popular – to the tune of three billion sold annually. Here's a non-serious look at Post and his breakfast-changing innovation.

My recent chat with John Batchelor broached the important subject of flawed, non-reproducible scientific studies that find their way into journals. It seems that replicating results is as rare as finding a unicorn at a science fair.