Politicians need to seem to be doing SOMETHING, even if it is ill-advised, profligate, and futile, endangers Americans' standard of living and the nation's security. It applies to much of today's policymaking, from mitigation of climate change to the regulation of chemicals and genetic engineering.

YouTube has two billion active monthly users and uploads 500 hours of content every minute. Twenty five percent of U.S. adults get their news from YouTube, and 60% of regular users “use the platform to keep up with current events.” Since roughly 70% of all videos watched come from YouTube’s algorithm, it's fair to ask if it might be biased. A new study says it is, and that the algorithm leans left.

Evidence-based medicine specifically seeks evidence for treatments, recommendations, and practice guidelines. However, while the spirit of evidence-based medicine is to be based on ethical and scientifically rigorous research, in practice, it is often simply shortened to “Is there any evidence at all?” 

It's no secret that pickleball is a national craze. But, how many chemists are willing to try it and not only write about their experience but also the chemistry of the ball?

Recent breakthroughs in stem-cell have raised the prospect of one day "breeding" humans and growing organs in a lab. How realistic are these scenarios? Netflix just released an embarrassing miniseries about the opioid epidemic. Let's take a closer look at the show's claims.

The Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, lived most of their adult lives in a New York City brownstone at the corner of 5th Avenue and 128th Street. Today, their home is a “pocket park,” and the phrase “Collyer Mansion” is firehouse slang for “a dwelling jammed rafter-high with junk.” Together, let’s learn a bit about hoarding.

Too Much Stuff
Am I My Area Code?
Rules for reading – at least for social media

There’s something about autism that invites scapegoating. The latest attack was on makers of Lexapro, the anti-depressant medication, when used during pregnancy. Six plaintiffs recruited three experts to testify to a supposed causal connection between the drug and their children’s affliction. The court rejected the expert testimony outright and dismissed the case. Three weeks ago, the Second Circuit affirmed. The decisions, while applaudable, are problematic.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that Affirmative Action in university admissions is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Compulsory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statements in applications for university faculty positions and graduate school admissions should soon follow.

In the Fall of 2021, the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine announced that “licensees may face disciplinary action should they “generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation.” Meryl J. Nass, MD, a Maine family practitioner, had her license suspended for this in January 2022. She is suing, claiming a first amendment right to her speech.