Search results

Policies developed by public health officials in early 2020, in response to the COVID pandemic, were kept in place much longer than needed. Maintaining these policies was at odds with previous pandemic experiences, and they eventually led to disaster. Here we briefly explore some of the evidence to support our position.

Leave aside the social awkwardness of those junior high school dances. What got you up on the dance floor? A friend, a possibility, the tune? A new study identifies one of music’s dance drivers.

It is widely accepted that animal testing is the gold standard in biological research. The facts debunk this belief. There are many reasons to object to animal testing, but the simple truth is that there is a better way.   

“… the financial relationship between these newly independent physicians and industry begin to develop in the first year after graduation from their training programs and continued to expand in the early years of independent physician practice.” Financial relationship? A new study suggests that “gifting” physicians begins early. Still, I believe the study casts more shade than light.

Due to consumer concerns about the impact of commercial animal production on climate change, sustainable development, and animal welfare, biotech companies are racing to produce meat outside the realm of animal husbandry.  Cultured meat (CM), produced artificially in a bioreactor for human or pet consumption, is both the new commercial food frontier and the darling of venture capitalists. Can biotech companies deliver as promised, or are they blowing smoke at their investors and misleading the public? 

Welcome to another edition of The J-Man Chronicles where we can guarantee that you'll never find anything the slightest bit useful, but quite possibly amusing and probably offensive. Today it's the Penis Drawing Plane and how not to get a leg extension.

The first chronic low-level infection to be associated with a specific condition was Helicobacter pylori as the real cause underlying most stomach ulcers. This upended decades of medical belief and treatment. Could a newly discovered species of bacteria in the microbiome be a culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis? This reprint from The Conversation suggests it is quite possible.

Politically-driven vaccine resistance renders persuasion efforts all but futile in that segment of the population. A different, but still potent, obstacle is posed when trying to persuade those susceptible to conspiracy theories. What happens when the two tactics are deliberately and calculatedly used in tandem – facilitated by junk science? Might perpetuating this kind of compound disinformation count as treason if done by a public servant?

To what degree does a patient’s belief that treatment will succeed influence care outcome? Can a study of treating appendicitis with antibiotics shed some light on the role of faith in our care?

The Cleveland Clinic, one of the world's foremost academic medical centers, has jumped on the anti-vaping bandwagon, perpetuating unfiltered nonsense about the health effects of nicotine.

Meryl Streep, a proud Vassar grad, recently received a Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater. But rather than stress her stellar career as an actor, she discussed an earlier moment as a citizen-scientist. “Once you know how to search out and credit the facts around certain problems, you are called on by your conscience to act on them. The Vassar conscience rings a bell in your head; it’s a call to action in your heart.” The problem? Alar.

The Fungus among us
Standup comedy as an evolutionary advantage
The GOAT pays it forward one more time, Ali and Parkinson’s
Did Garlic Protect Rasputin?

You can’t miss the headlines. As we enter the fall, we now face the combined forces of influenza, COVID, and RSV – respiratory syncytial virus. Are the continued drumbeats of fear necessary?

Recent headlines have suggested that air pollution may contribute to growing obesity rates. It's a speculative hypothesis based on bad science.

Every time you turn on the TV or read a news article touching on medicine, the environment, or health, chances are you'll run across a story that's impacted by toxicology.  And more times than not, news consumers are left with the question: What information is essential to understanding the story's impact?  

I was supportive when governmental institutions told me to social distance and mask up. I bristle when they tell me that there should be no medical or surgical management for gender dysphoria for those under 18, even with parental consent. The science for both is unclear and unsettled. Are my feelings driven by politics or something else?

Eating dairy products results in increased levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad " kind) which in turn is felt to “fuel” cardiovascular disease – hence the recommendation to pursue a low-fat diet. A new study considers the important question of whether milk and cheese shorten your life.

Between 2019 and 2021, our national life expectancy, which is a measure of our overall health and lifespan, decreased by two years. It was the first such decline in over 50 years – and linked to COVID. As with all things COVID, those life losses were unevenly distributed.

This philosophy has deep religious and cultural roots, from monsters and meditation to Marie Kondo’s tidying up. This article by Dr. Kevin Taylor, Director of Religious Studies and Instructor of Philosophy, University of Memphis is re-posted here courtesy of The Conversation.

Let's say that your car gets 300 miles on a full tank of gas. Would you expect it to go 600 miles with a half tank? Or 1,200 with a quarter tank? If that sounds crazy welcome to Homeopathy World, where the same "logic" applies. This article might not get your car to go further but it could save you the 20 bucks you might otherwise throw away on Arnica.

Last week I stopped breathing. If it was not for my wife, who gave me some breaths, and the village of people who subsequently cared for me, we would be speaking through a Ouija Board.

It’s now been established that vaccination may be the last best hope of stemming the tide of increasing COVID-19 infections. We are currently in the 5th round of vaccinations, all of which performed as expected in the laboratory, hence their FDA certifications. However, vaccine effectiveness in the field depends on human elements that are not controllable in a free society.

Ready for some serious idiocy? Hope so because a new feature, The J-Man Chronicles – a demented version of Chuck Dinerstein's "What I'm Reading" – was designed with idiocy in mind. This week it's oversized arse wipes and used (but returnable) diet soda. Don't blame me.

What’s Science got to do with it? - Science and policy
Luxury surveillance - we willing put on "ankle monitors" and often pay a premium

Is marijuana really the low-risk drug that many Americans believe it is? Emergency room physician Dr. Roneet Lev says the popular conception of cannabis—as an all-natural treatment for pain, anxiety, seizures, and so many other ailments—is far too simplistic. She joins us on episode 25 of the Science Dispatch podcast.