Can ratings of physicians and hospitals help patients improve their care? Is there an objective way to weigh costs and benefits? Improving our information is more difficult than it seems.
Other Science News
Does being the fastest man on Earth mean the Jamaican sprinter also has the best body mechanics? We might believe so, but actually it might not be true. Using a model they engineered, researchers at Southern Methodist University say the multiple Olympic gold medalist may have "an asymmetrical running gait." The findings raise some intriguing questions.
Think your coffee tastes like ... well ... crap? With recent reports revealing ice from three of the largest coffee companies was contaminated with fecal matter, expect a little panic to ensue. As for now, here's the medical scoop on this poop.
Poor security resulting in 'cyber attacks' have resulted in regulatory fines and class action lawsuits. It is time to deconstruct what those fines and suits mean.
Whether you're a journalist, scientist, or layperson, the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid) appears to be an effective strategy for getting your message across.
Recently, a crazy story went viral, which called into question the media's ability to separate fact from fiction. When confronted with claims that some folks don't eat, but sustain themselves on the energy of the universe, some in the media failed to challenge this nonsense. Letting this slide can produce dangerous consequences for those who fall for it.
How profound. This concept, from the preeminent Harvard scientist and noted optimist, is worth examining in the context of biotechnology.
In less than two months, the entire continental U.S. will witness a total eclipse of the sun for the first time in nearly a century. On Aug. 21 those living in a 70-mile-wide band stretching between Oregon and South Carolina will be able to watch the moon completely block out the sun while they are treated with a rare, naked-eye glimpse of the burning star's solar corona.
There are evil people in this world. Then there are the people who ran the despicable Breast Cancer Survivors Foundation, who gave little to charity while taking the majority of the money for themselves as administrative costs.
With the overload of information — bad, good and worse — from all media mediums, at all times, public confidence in it on the whole is plummeting. That's according to a new report identifying that only 37 percent of the public trusts evidence from medical research. Compare that to 65 percent who prefer experiences of friends and family to guide them.
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.