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Sharing data is a cornerstone in the push for scientific transparency. It is also a significant speed bump that impedes achieving that goal. Why is that?

Research shows that vaccine skepticism appeals to people who already distrust authority. Solutions proposed during the COVID-19 pandemic may be amplifying the problem rather than solving it.

ACSH advisor and pain patient advocate Red Lawhern has been at the forefront of efforts to undo the damage done by the 2016 CDC Advice on Opioid Prescribing. He wants the abomination thrown out and has spent countless hours trying to reason with the CDC (and others). Here is the result of his hard work.

The tyranny of those who speak up, what contact lenses can tell us about monopolies, Snap! Crackle! Pop! - the science behind the sound, and what anthropology and DNA can tell us about COVID-19

In Greek mythology, the Chimera was a fearsome, fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. She terrorized the Lycians until felled by Pegasus, the winged horse. The Chimeric beast lives on in people's imaginations, her name becoming synonymous with grotesque monsters combining bodily parts from different beings. It also lives on in science.

Long before COVID-19, overwhelming infection, sepsis, often bacterial rather than viral, has been a leading cause of death in US hospitals. Sepsis has attracted the concern of Medicare, which requires hospitals to report on their adherence to a bundle of treatment measures. How is that working out? 

A new poll confirms that vaccine uptake is increasing in the U.S. There are legitimate concerns about convincing the minority of immunization skeptics to get their shots as we pursue herd immunity. But risk-averse regulators and panic-prone journalists may be exacerbating the problem.

The recent excellent article by Josh Bloom, “NYC Pol Uses Phony Cancer Scare & ‘Children’ to Ban Glyphosate in Parks,” talks about the scare tactics used by a council member in New York to ban glyphosate (Roundup) from city parks. I’m taking a deeper dive looking at how the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and our EPA determine whether or not glyphosate causes cancer. A flawed process leads to flawed science, which like radioactivity – stays around forever!

Are there methods that can be employed to ensure the commercial success of antibiotic biotech? ACSH advisor Dr. David Shlaes has his doubts.

In addition to bottled hope, the $168 billion dietary supplement industry furnishes surplus amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes to those who aren’t extracting the necessary requirements from regular food, drink, and life experiences. Now, we can add negative ions to the list, thanks to ionized, or alkalized, water.

The EU’s “Farm to Fork” strategy is designed to meet the global sustainable development goals and increase land cultivated by organic farming at least three-fold. To meet those goals, it may well require including GMOs. An opinion piece asks: "Can organic farming be reconciled with advanced biotechnologies in the EU, one of the most regulated global agricultural regions?"

Deep in our gut, our microbiologic fellow travelers await the “manna” from heaven that we provide them, prechewed and ready for assimilation. In return, they provide nutrients and exert both pro- and anti-inflammatory influences on our well-being. In many ways, aided by the microbiome, we are what we eat – if only there were a Rosetta Sone to help us know how a particular food altered the offerings of our microbial dependents.

Until recently, little was known about the safety of COVID vaccines for pregnant women. We have much more to learn, but the preliminary evidence now coming in is reassuring.

Our fates are not biologically determined. Genetics can predispose us to certain maladies, but science-based remedies can help us lead healthier lives.

"Why Is Bill Gates Buying Up Stolen Native American Land?" British comedian and actor Russell Brand asked in a recent YouTube video. Relying largely on anti-GMO activist Vandana Shiva, Brand spent nearly 17 minutes warning about the dangers of billionaires taking over the global food system. Here's what he got wrong.

As if the confusion over marijuana, THC, and CBD oil isn't enough – both legally and pharmacologically – now there's a new wrinkle. It’s called Delta-8 THC, a previously minuscule and unimportant component of cannabis, which is virtually identical to THC itself. It's now possible to make the drug, also called "THC-light," from CBD oil. What does this mean? Read on. If you dare.

Another study highlights the overlap between genetic engineering in medicine and agriculture, offering another example of why the anti-GMO movement is losing its cultural relevance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified calls to ban flavored e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes. One physician says there's good evidence that vaping increases the risk of infection for teenagers. Do her claims stand up to scrutiny?

It takes all kinds. Although some of us like to hang around after we flush a public toilet it is not recommended. There's even an article with an explanation (as if we need one). Plus, some other questionable activities that probably should be avoided.

Fast or slow furniture? Asymptomatic infections are not confined to COVID-19. Plants can social distance? Tap water hesitancy

Vitamin D is a ubiquitous compound found throughout our bodies. It’s tantalizingly featured in many studies to promote health – or not. But why the ambiguity? Is it a super-vitamin or is it simply misunderstood? Let’s take a look.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains in the nightly news and is always there in our daily lives. Charts, tables, and statistics dominate the discussion; some emphasize counts and quote short-term percentage changes such as a 20% drop in hospitalization. Statistics and pictures may tell COVID-19 stories, but the message may depend on how you look at them. Here we present some examples and discuss the various lessons to be learned. 

Japan is planning to release tons of water from the Fukushima nuclear site into the Pacific Ocean – water contaminated with tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen. This has led to protests by China, South Korea, Russia, and other nations; an outcry from a variety of environmental groups … not to mention seafood lovers concerned about the safety of their sushi. Given these concerns, it seems reasonable to dig into the subject a tad to see how serious a concern this is.

A little chemistry anyone? Here's everything you never wanted to know about iodine. But it's not as dreadful as you'd think. Iodine and its compounds disinfect surgical sites, seed clouds, and can protect you from certain nuclear fallout. And it's great for blowing up stuff, too! And there's a quiz with a very special prize for the winner!

To speed COVID vaccine uptake and bring the pandemic to an end, some commentators are calling on the government to mandate immunization as a condition for participating in society. This may seem like a reasonable policy, but there's compelling evidence that it could backfire.