It's astounding how quickly the summer has flown by. For many of you, it was because you spent some of the season on vacation. But not for us at ACSH. Oh no. We were busy keeping the world safe from junk science.
The durian is one of the most interesting fruits in existence. Unfortunately, it is also one of the smelliest.
Why is everyone always above average? Hint-we are poor judges of our ability. Chemophobia is challenging to discuss, but it does drive 100% natural marketing. Are hospital administrators and their salaries growing at such a high rate that they are the cause of high prices? The graph says yes, the truth is a bit more nuanced. Finally, with all the concern about a replication crisis and the integrity of science, you would think that writing a paper debunking other research would be easy; you would be wrong.
Proposed guidelines for physicians from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommend screening everyone over the age of 18 for drug use. Mind you, that's without having evidence of benefit or harm. Can the reasoning "it can't hurt" be an acceptable justification for the move?
Our critics routinely distort -- or flat-out lie about -- ACSH's scientific positions, professional collaborations and sources of funding. We've been viciously defamed with the clear intent of destroying our reputations and careers. Some of us have received threats of physical violence or worse. And yet, despite the persistent (bipartisan) abuse, we think there's tremendous value in what we do: the reason being that truth is inherently good and the pursuit of it is an honorable enterprise.
Many of those who want to shove their kids into a lead-lined, basement safe room when someone walks by with a can of Raid or diet soda, are unknowingly feeding them multiple, unknown chemicals by giving them dietary supplements. And virtually none of those are useful -- and some are actually dangerous.
Stress increases cortisol, in turn, raising blood glucose. If acute stress can raise your blood sugar, what are the effects of chronic stress? Here's what a group of veterans with PTSD are showing us about Type 2 diabetes.
Given the ridiculous headline "Broccoli Is Dying. Corn Is Toxic. Long Live Microbiomes!," the article, written by a retired English teacher, makes one outrageous, unscientific claim after another. Let's dissect them one by one.
Irrespective of whether you believe Roundup or opioids demand corporate liability, it is worth considering how corporations shift liability to others while attempting to retain their profits.
One of the core principles of ACSH is harm reduction – an essential component of any sane public health policy. Dr. Jeffrey Singer (pictured) writing for the Cato Institute, calls for harm reduction, both from opioid prescribers and policymakers. Dr. Singer graciously allowed us to reprint his latest essay, which is a must-read.
