The cost of pharmaceuticals is high for a number of reasons. A new study considers our out-of-pocket spending and increased use of medications, rather than more expensive surgery or hospitalization as a driver we can control.

It's unclear whether Big Agriculture, or small local farms, can save humanity from itself. Yet both groups sit on the sidelines yelling at each other without clear long-term strategies, suggesting that humanity is doomed unless the deniers are right.

Two Arkansas professors were recently charged with making methamphetamine. But the chemical that police found was a simple reagent called benzyl chloride. Are these guys guilty? It all depends on the chemistry.

The Massachusetts lawmaker wants to end "traffic violence." What? The word violence implies purposeful, often malicious, intent. That word in no way describes how most people die in car crashes, which are accidents. As a Democratic candidate for President, she's trying to scrounge-up votes from people who see themselves as victims.

As you know, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you're probably salivating at the thought of all the yummy traditional dishes. That is, unless you're a member of the Environmental Working Group, a bunch of anti-chemical alarmists backed by a grand tradition of ghastly science. What might they be eating for Thanksgiving? Let's find out.

While Facebook has drawn massive criticism over manipulative political ads, the social media giant also runs advertisements around vaccinations, which is another divisive policy topic. A new study gives us a glimpse of the ads' content, targets and purchasers.

Prince Andrew, who currently occupies the hot seat for at least two dubious associations, sheds some light on a relatively unknown disease: anhidrosis, the inability to sweat. Let's take a look at that physical condition. (Whether you believe him is another story.)

Healthcare consolidation involves economies of scale and standardization. Neither is a guarantee of better outcomes. For patients on dialysis, in fact, consolidation has made their care worse.

A healthy lifestyle and a few inexpensive medications are as good as expensive surgery or stents in treating chronic heart disease. Translating this study to the real world is going to be tough because many patients prefer not to alter their lifestyle. No one minds the pills, but stents just seem simpler than changing how one lives.

Here's what's on the reading list this time 'round: Perhaps the rats were not the cause of the plague ... More on software that fails us, as the NTSB prepares its final report on Uber's fatal crash ... There is much to be grateful for in our world ... And cutting corners to get your child in college is not limited to ethically-challenged Americans.