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Perhaps I should not give this study any oxygen, but the cherry-picking of words is so egregious that it must be called out. I am talking about a study done by the Lown Institute, a “nonpartisan healthcare think tank.” As Becker’s Hospital Review reports, “Overall, Lown found that “racial segregation is common in urban hospital markets.” Segregation? Does that word inform or inflame?

Pig pandemic, beef monopoly, agrivoltaics?, and deep listening.

Once, a long time ago, it seems, individuals used rules-of-thumb, fancy name heuristics to navigate transactions – social or commercial. As the scale of our interactions grew, rules-of-thumb gave way to algorithms, which were, in turn, unleashed to create new algorithms based upon artificial intelligence. Somewhere along the way, those artificially intelligent algorithms became dangerous. What is high-risk artificial intelligence? Spoiler alert – it is already upon us – welcome to our version of Skynet.

Most of us, up until COVID-19, would greet one another with a hug, handshake, or kiss. How did we learn these social conventions? More interestingly, how did the fist-bump or the high-five come in and out of our lives? The answer lies in how information spreads or diffuses throughout our networks. Therein lies an important finding, in the time of COVID-19.

“Scientists initially estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the population needed to acquire resistance to the coronavirus to banish it. Now Dr. Anthony Fauci and others are quietly shifting that number upward.” NY Times December 2020
“Reaching ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Unlikely in the US, Experts Now Believe” NY Times July 2021
Is this poor communication, flip-flop, or evidence of conspiracy?

Europe, as opposed to various national authorities, is well poised to provide funds to support the broken antibiotic market. If this ever comes to be, how will products deserving of such support be chosen? Separately, will European regulators continue their slide back to requiring infeasible clinical trials and thereby limiting access to new antibiotics in Europe or will they wake up?

A new study suggests that smokers who take up vaping may "relapse" to cigarettes. But this is more a problem of definitions than evidence that e-cigarettes don't promote smoking cessation.

It's a constant battle for those of us who have been pushing to overturn failed opioid policies. Specifically, those based on the faulty premise that the overdose crisis arose from doctors overprescribing painkillers. Lately, there’s been some progress. So, the last thing we need now is a miniseries that gets it all wrong. Hulu's “Dopesick” does just that.

October 16th was designated "Ether Day" in 1906 in celebration of one of the most important discoveries in history. Read this and you'll get some fascinating history about ether and also another hideous chapter in The Dread Chemistry Lesson From Hell series. How can you not?

The logistics of returns, Disney, and nuclear power – “Our Friend, the Atom,” and the fine immunologic line that is pregnancy.

As I have been arguing of late, the gist, the information, and the emotional components all play a role. A new study looks at the helpfulness of consumer reviews in guiding choice. The emotion they chose to consider – anger – is, unfortunately, around us 24/7/365.

“Telehealth” and “digital healthcare” have become buzzwords for corporate types and consultants – as well as an increasing reality for many patients. What do corporate leaders believe should be our path forward?

"Synthetic chemical in consumer products linked to early death, study finds.”
“People with the highest levels of phthalates had a greater risk of death from any cause, especially cardiovascular mortality, according to a study published today in a peer-reviewed journal.”
Let’s take a look behind the headlines, at the study itself, to see what it actually says. [1]

Mandates are rarely a good idea. It’s not even good parenting to order children about with a “because I said so.” Better to persuade, cajole, give choices. That’s what reasonable parents do. But there are times, especially during emergencies - when time is of the essence - that better parenting (and governing) requires an imperative, and “because I said so” becomes the proper, prudent -- and sometimes life-saving -- approach.

Those are the words of Pliny the Elder (except for the COVID part). Coincidentally, he died while trying to save friends during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. As it turns out, today's home is also where COVID-19 comes to visit, brought in by household members.

We now have both mRNA (Pfizer, Moderna) and vector (AstraZeneca, J&J) vaccines. As we move to boosters, can we – should we – mix and match? Is choosing one from Column A and one from Column B better, worse, or just the same?

Antibe Therapeutics has been developing otenaproxesul, a "miracle drug" that, at least in early trials, controlled both pain and inflammation -- but without the side effects of NSAID drugs. However, the company hit a snag and is now going in a different direction. Will it succeed?

Flu season is here. With COVID-19 still wreaking havoc in certain parts of the US, getting a flu shot is more important this year than ever before.

The vast majority of Americans don't trust the media to "report the news fully, accurately and fairly," according to a new Gallup poll. Let's examine some recent examples that may help explain why the public is so skeptical of journalists.

September began with concerns about increasing COVID-19 cases and deaths across the nation, ending as new cases reached a plateau. These trends are consistent with nationwide spreading of the Delta virus variant. The future depends on interactions of vaccination reluctance with the virulent Delta variant and with a potential repeat of the previous winter peak. Is relief in sight? Are COVID-19 rates comparable to seasonal influenza rates as a reasonable goal?

When it comes to media and scientific reporting, the B cells have gotten most of the attention – it makes sense, they produce the antibodies in our first wave of defense against COVID-19. But the T cells have a significant role to play and have been disrespected. It is time to give our T-cell mediated immunity a little love.

The title here refers to a saying among surgeons. It applies not only to our reputation, how others view us but to how we view ourselves, at least for a little while. A new study suggests that the sentiment behind the saying also influences our subsequent few medical decisions.

Cooking has always been chemistry you can eat, the murmurations of swallows, Capitalism, the commons, and China, and a movie about moths but not Mothra

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA is the exception, not the rule. Except for COVID therapies. Three vaccines and one drug have EUA in the US. Merck is now seeking EUA for its antiviral drug molnupiravir. Should it be granted?

In March, President Biden fired 40 independent, external science advisors at the Environmental Protection Agency. A president had never done that. He replaced them with researchers – many of whom receive, or are involved in research that receives, millions of taxpayer dollars from EPA grants. This act epitomizes the politicization of an executive agency.