Other Science News

Homeopathic treatments can be bought almost everywhere. They're the ones that are likely labeled as "natural remedies" and have pictures of grass or leaves on them.

We've been hard at work this year informing you of the latest developments in biomedical science, debunking junk science and bogus health claims, and explaining the science behind the headlines.

This year, I don't want you to go to the doctor. That seems obvious. Most people go to the doctor when they are ill, and I don't want you to be ill or have an accident. But I don't want you go to the doctor even if you are well. 

Ah, snake oil — the sobriquet we use to label a variety of fundamentally useless nostrums that are sold to the gullible to prevent, treat or cure a variety of ailments. Now we have another, genuinely snake-derived item, rattlesnake pills.

There are a lot of tough moments in the first year of parenting. Topping the list is the first stomach flu, first long trip and first shots. Right up there on the list is teething.

First, your body betrays you. The muscles that you once relied upon for movement and so many forms of self-reliance begin to weaken, then wither. You are unable to write. Your world closes in on you.

Recently we wrote a how-to guide, of sorts, to identify if a scientific paper has been published in a legitimate scientific journal or a so-called predatory journal.

Perhaps you have seen the ads running on late night TV soliciting for patients to join a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of a pelvic sling for women. What is that all about?

It's the season for Top 10 lists. The challenge, as usual, is to narrow down all the junk science we debunked in 2017 to just the ten best (worst?) stories. It would be far easier to create a top 100 list.

All I want for Christmas is to be a physician, not a provider and to have more patients and fewer healthcare consumers. Consumers is such a harsh word; it’s all about taking, at best knowledgeable choosing.