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What went wrong during the COVID-19 pandemic? A team of public health researchers recently outlined some of the crucial policy mistakes we made and explained how we might avoid them in the future.

Finding patience, Gaia?, and moral molecules – building blocks of morality.

While Canada has already banned menthol from cigarettes, we are considering similar legislation. A new study reports on the initial impacts of Canada’s ban. Can real-world experience inform our policy decisions?

Everybody wants to know that when they turn on their tap, their drinking water is safe. According to the EPA, the U.S. enjoys one of the world’s most reliable and safest drinking water supplies. But these days, when we question everything, it’s essential to understand the basic facts about drinking water.

It seems that everyone is on a special free-from diet these days. The list of unpopular ingredients to avoid includes dairy, fat, sugar, genetically-modified anything, nuts, and gluten. And for some reason, there seems to be a huge crowd of individuals who must now be gluten-free. What’s this all about?

Pfizer's Paxlovid looks very promising in fighting COVID. It also provides a good opportunity to learn about how enzyme inhibitors work. For masochists only.

We're almost two years into the pandemic and there have been more than enough ups and downs to last a lifetime. But now we have a potentially big "up," because the results just came in on Pfizer's COVID drug Paxlovid—and they are nothing short of amazing. Will we finally be free of the terror of this pandemic? Maybe.

The evidence consistently shows that organic farming cannot help the world slow climate change. Yet science publications that should know better continue to promote this harmful myth.

Hospital data show that the largest shares of COVID infections and deaths have been to the unvaccinated, about whom we have little personal information. The media has interviewed a few individuals, but large-scale demographic data are needed for a better understanding. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may provide some insight.

Up until last week, CO2 levels have been the concern; now methane is in the mix. But what can we say about CO2 before adding to our worries? An article from The Conversation provides some infographics.

It's the silly season once again when oldsters are asked if they want to change their Medicare coverage. And especially to Medicare Advantage – the plans that are often free and come with lots of extras: like vision, dental, hearing, and even over-the-counter medications. But are they really an advantage?

In our affluent nation, most dogs are no longer working animals who help hunt, guard property, protect children or herd livestock. They’ve been taken from the farms and kennels, welcomed into our homes, and treated as cherished family members. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the food trends for the “pet parents” have spilled over to canine cuisines. Feeding raw diets to dogs is a growing alternative to commercially processed dry, semi-moist or canned pet foods. Here’s what we are seeing as a result.

Big news in the NFL! Superstar Aaron Rodgers, who claimed that he was "immunized" was playing the hidden ball trick with the public. He was nothing of the sort. Rodgers got homeopathic "treatment" instead of a vaccine and caught COVID. Perhaps he has taken too many shots to the head and not enough in the arm.

Several superficially plausible arguments against COVID-19 vaccination continue to pop up across the internet, usually phrased as leading questions. Are they as solid as they seem? A little investigation suggests they are mostly speculation.

A confession, climate change, how to read a book, and it is truly Autumn in New York

A lot has been written about the strengths and weaknesses of using DNA testing to customize individual diets. It's a promising idea, but our knowledge of genetics isn't yet good enough to pinpoint what each of us should eat.

Over the last year, the number of immune individuals necessary to achieve herd immunity has risen from 70% to 90%. Is it even possible to achieve herd immunity? Every other disease has herd immunity; why not COVID-19? And another problem, why is COVID-19 different from its siblings SARS or MERS?

To paraphrase a well-known phrase about government intervention, can there be any words more feared than these: “I’m from Amazon, and I’m here to help.” After a failed endeavor – in conjunction with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway, known as Haven – Amazon is moving into healthcare on its own. What might that mean for physicians and patients?

Few words strike terror into the heart of 50-year-olds more than "colonoscopy." True, it’s a procedure that most of us do not look forward to. But it's very important, and in reality, not really that bad. For you "colonoscopy virgins” here are a few words of encouragement.

Does marijuana use affect mental health? Cato Institute's Dr. Jeffrey Singer and colleagues address just this in a new pre-print of a paper that is undergoing peer review. The preprint can be read on the medRxiv site.

Research has shown that adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination are very rare. Another large study of VAERS reports strengthens this conclusion.

Merck just announced that it granted a royalty-free license for its antiviral drug molnupiravir to Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed organization dedicated to providing crucial medicines to 105 poorer countries. Will this make a difference in the battle against COVID? I argue that it will.

The FDA recently released the latest results from its Pesticide Residue Monitoring Report. Spoiler alert: America's food supply still isn't tainted with harmful synthetic chemicals.

The media likes to compare COVID-19 outcomes in different states based on carefully selected metrics. A closer look indicates that these match-ups are less compelling than reporters think. This has consequences for the public's trust in science.

An Illinois woman is suing Kellogg's for substituting pear and apple for strawberry in Strawberry Pop-Tarts. I examine the earth-shattering ramifications of this crucial lawsuit.