Ron Swanson, a character from the TV "Parks and Recreation," can teach us valuable, practical lessons about science and culture this holiday season.
Here are the final four exciting developments in science, health and technology of 2017. And, a prediction for what innovation could be truly disruptive in the future.
Words matter. We should have more patients and fewer "healthcare consumers." The term is terribly harsh, since it's all about taking.
It's time to turn the forces of political correctness against themselves. If society is going to be in the dubious business of banning words, then we ought to do that because they're factually incorrect – rather than politically incorrect. And there's no better place to start than with the abbreviation "GMO."
Earning a living in science has been "uneven" (let's be kind) over the past 15 years. In 2008, in the middle of what would be known as the Great Recession, a chemist with the pseudonym Chemjobber started a blog about finding science jobs. He is now widely followed and we thank him for speaking with us about his experience.
Drugs submitted for FDA approval must have safety and efficacy data for the condition they're designed to treat. Sometimes, however, a drug is found to be effective for another condition, and doctors are within their rights to prescribe it for such "off-label" uses. Such may soon be the case for metformin.
As if having Gwyneth Paltrow's "lifestyle" brand in the U.S. isn't bad enough, the company's vaginal egg-lined path now leads north, with products available to be shipped to Canada. Now Canadians, too, will be able to waste a ton of money on GOOP's nonsense.
The CDC is told seven words are no longer allowed in their documents. Banning words and thoughts doesn't work, just ask George Carlin. Do they think it will somehow work now?
A 38-year-old former NFL running back believes he's currently experiencing symptoms of CTE, the degenerative brain disease that currently can only be diagnosed after death. Can his insight help researchers better understand this disease? Is it meaningful, or meaningless?
Waze, a driving navigation app, has moved from traffic advisor to traffic director as it's user base grows. But does this new algorithmic overlord have special responsibilities?
