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The risk of radiation on a trip to Mars, the dark segments of our DNA, the role of "caste" in defining the elite, and how will our war with COVID-19 end?

Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are well-known for the misinformation they spread, not as content providers – but as platforms. But Amazon? How could the superstore behemoth sow the same problematic information? For the answer, one only has to look to its algorithm.

There are numerous opinions about the best way to handle (or perhaps end) the COVID pandemic. They range from more strict lockdowns, to "let's open as quickly as possible" coupled with the hope to keep it in check. A pandemic expert picks the first way. It's very unpopular. Is it even a realistic choice?

March 5, 2020, was my last trip on the hideous New York City subway. At that time COVID has just begun to hit the city. By any measure, the last year sucked (as does the subway) but now that I'm inoculated I'm able to ride the damn thing again. Here's the one-year anniversary update of the trip report from last year. Things are much different now.

A century ago, the Flu Pandemic was bimodal. Its first peak was in late winter of 1917, before returning with vengeance in the fall-winter of 1918. COVID-19, too, has shown a seasonal variation, with its early peak last year and another rise now that seems to be fading away. So, some questions: Where do these viruses go? Do they leave at all? What makes them seasonal? Let’s explore.

How will the COVID-19 pandemic end? Will it burn itself out, find an equilibrium more like the seasonal flu, or will it continue to rage despite all we try?

Richard Lawhern of the ACSH Board of Scientific Advisers points out that US national policy for regulating prescription opioids doesn't lack for data. It instead drowns in persistently biased anti-opioid misrepresentation of the data we already have.

Why do books smell? Dr. Joe Schwarcz, a professor of chemistry at McGill University's Office for Science and Society explains in his own unique way in one of his own unique (and wonderful) videos from "The Right Chemistry" series. (And a way to poison readers that may or may not work.) Enjoy.

Safety data based on more than 17 million Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccinations was just published in a JAMA online article. How safe were they? Very.

It's no secret that people have bad reactions to some prescription drugs. But not all drugs are equal. Here's a look at four drugs that are rather unpopular.

Flawed, idealized metrics like life expectancy are often used to report success of a nation or its health delivery apparatus. A new study suggests the lion's share of curbing premature death may not reside there.

A Pew Research Center article, "Rapid Opioid Cutoff Is Risky Too, Feds Warn" takes an honest look at the suffering created by the radical, misguided anti-opioid jihad. It's a shame that its author, Christine Vestal, also included quotes from Andrew Kolodny, who denies the mess that he and his friends made while claiming that very few patients were "inappropriately tapered." Like herpes infection, Kolodny never goes away.

E-cigarettes remain controversial. They are frequently offered as an effective bridge to smoking cessation. But that path may be harder than we anticipated.

Roaming through your body is a group of specialized immune cells which act stealthily and authoritatively. They "ask" other body cells to show them identification ("papers please!"). If they fail to provide adequate ID those cells are killed on the spot. No questions asked. Scientists are now recruiting these cells to help in the fight against cancer.

It's no walk in the park to be born, for mom or baby. A new study hopes to shed light on just how stressful an average, uneventful delivery is on the fetal head and brain.

Like educators who "teach for the test," hospitals and health systems are able to quickly learn and adapt to new rules, especially those that come with financial rewards and penalties.

A 16-year-old girl uses her social media account to post this question: Should I kill myself? Sixty-nine percent of people who responded said yes. So she did. This isn't the plot of a twisted new movie. This, according to a report coming from Malaysia, actually happened. There are four important points to discuss stemming from this tragedy.

When it comes to delivery location, the stakes are too high to add a risk factor or hurdle to childbirth. Hospital births are the safest choice.

Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, sold 10 million copies in just six months.  Random House Chief Executive said, “It could be the biggest selling autobiography ever.”  In addition to people buying her book, they are shelling out big bucks to see her speak about it. If Let’s Move Childcare had that success rate, childhood obesity would be eradicated like the bubonic plague. But that didn't happen. Here's why.

While some argue that a continued decline in the birth rate will merit a failed replacement rate for the overall population, it's time to take a pause and appreciate the nuances in these observed trends.

Uh oh, we're in trouble. The "Mexican Blood Flu" is upon us. We've never heard of it, but it sure sounds nasty.
Rumors of a superbug virus that kills 70% of the seniors over 55 who become infected are flying around the internet via emails and a Facebook Page, which is hosted a group called Wake Up America and Stand United. Is this something you should worry about? Better read this.

On climate policy, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believe there is no middle ground. AOC said, "You're either fighting for our future or you're not," which sounds an awful lot like, "You're either with us or against us." This is wrong and counterproductive.

With the hope of increasing accessibility for a burdensome medical issue, can this application actually make a dent as a screening or diagnostic tool?

Sometimes you just have to speak your mind. A TV ad demonstrates the power of language to further demean medical care.

More and more frequently, prior scientific work is not "reproducible." But is it a crisis? And does reproducibility lead us to "truth"? A study of how science may find truth discovers that the diversity of scientific approaches may be crucial.