Other Science News

Dr. Tim Farnum, an anesthesiologist and founder of the nonprofit Parents Against Underage Smartphones, is spearheading legislation that would ban smartphones for children under 13. Should it hit the 2018 Colorado ballot the proposed law, if passed, would be a first. Unsurprisingly, it has generated controversy.
Caring for patients as they approach their deaths is sensitive, emotionally fraught territory. It is also an important discussion. A new study sheds some light on the difficulties in those talks for patients and physicians. 
Surgical techniques and medical care does change with the generations. How is a surgeon suppose to keep up? Can you teach an old-doc-dog a new trick or two?
John Mackey of Whole Foods, which sells products at a 45% markup over other stores by claiming that its food is cleaner and healthier and holier, is adorably complaining about investor greed and propaganda.
Excessive ice stalls a climate change expedition, the merits of a pillow-based exercise regimen ... and more news that's a bit, shall we say ... loonie.
Yemen's cholera outbreak is hitting epic proportions, with over 100,000 cases currently reported. And with more than 14 million people lacking access to clean water and sanitation, the beleaguered country is at the beginning of what some are predicting to be a complete collapse. 
Diagnosis and treatment are linked. A new study sheds light on how improvements in one inform the other, or in other words, their dance of accommodation. 
Good news for everyone who writes science: Alan Alda is as terrified as the rest of us about getting it wrong.
The annual World Science Festival was held last weekend in NYC and we were lucky enough to attend some of the events. One of the highlights was a panel conversation moderated by Carl Zimmer, talking to scientists about science and discussing the most pressing issues for today's scientific community. 
Bourdain, the bad boy chef turned journalist, is far more effective than any of the marches, or journalist headlines or thought pieces. It's hard not to come away from watching his CNN program without a new found respect for the work of scientists.
Why are healthcare studies plagued by causal contradictions? Could it be the ancient battle between the beliefs in determinism and free will?
Given that cycling-related trips to hospitals and emergency departments across the country have increased dramatically, is it a fair question to ask: Are the steep rise in accidents, and the billions of dollars in annual medical expenses and costs associated with this push towards expanded two-wheeled transportation, worth it?