2016 was a year to forget. A rough-and-tumble election, partisan rhetoric and "fake news," and the loss of many beloved and talented people -- from Prince to Carrie Fisher -- made this calendar cycle a bit more difficult than most. Surely, 2017 must have something better in store.
To ensure that it does, we all must resolve to make it so. And as a science journalist, I can do my part by adopting these four resolutions. I hope other journalists join me.

Smoking is bad. Bad for mom. Bad for the unborn and born baby alike. Now, a new study reinforces its adverse effect on the developing child, with a focus on the damage done to the kidneys. 

“At the moment, Careline users who fall at home have to wait for a paramedic to help them. But under the new policy, Careline staff will go to their aid and get the user sitting up and assess the situation before an ambulance is called, in a bid to cut the number of call-outs to falls paramedics receive.”

If you have been procrastinating getting your flu shot - it's time to get to a healthcare provider or local pharmacy and get it off of your 'to-do' list. Flu statistics are watched closely at this time of year, and the last few weeks of data have shown a notable increase in the number of flu cases with experts predicting that flu activity will be increasing in the near future - specifically over the next several weeks.

Once inside a wine bottle, oxygen can combine with other compounds to provide fuel for bacteria. This is particularly true for white wine. The right amount of oxygen can deliver a pleasing libation. An insufficient amount, however, cause a white wine to deliver hints of cabbage or rotten eggs. 

It has long been clear that the fallout from our new, overly-restrictive policies on opioid use would harm the people who truly need these medicines. What was not clear is that I would become one of them. If this scares you, it should. I sure was. 

It's surprising, but true. A California man was arrested for driving under the influence ... of caffeine! And given that millions of Americans consume 3+ cups of coffee per day, it's highly likely we're all guilty of driving while caffeinated. But does caffeine really impair our ability to get behind the wheel?

In the last week, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)  initiated a demonstration project involving the bundling of care for two new diagnostic categories. First, acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) – heart attacks including their medical and minimally invasive treatment (coronary artery angioplasty and stents) and second, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) – surgery to improve/restore circulation to the heart arteries.
And I should care why?  ... the presumptive new Health and Human Services Secretary is expected to cancel the demonstration, but it is more important to look at the underlying economics CMS envisions because they are the savings part of Obamacare.

Perhaps the strangest medical phenomenon discovered in recent years is a link between the lone star tick and an allergy to red meat.

We know that excess noise can negatively impact human quality of life, for instance, by introducing stress-inducing stimuli to a previously placid environment. But what impact does extraneous noise have on birds? Since they must rely on hearing for communication and safety, excess background noise can threaten their survival.