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Who knows what thoughts lie in the mental recesses of the would-be suicide victim? Sometimes, they leave a note; sometimes not. Sometimes, there are obvious rational reasons – unbearable pain, for one. Sometimes, not. However, sometimes, we can discern the motive or the message from the means. For the sake of protecting public health and safety, and possibly even preventing suicide, we should be paying attention.

The microbiome is a gut-wrenching mystery. One day, it’s the key to immortality; the next, it’s just along for the ride. If you’ve ever been told to fear sweeteners, shun sugar, and bow to fermented foods lest you destroy your delicate microbial overlords, it turns out what we think we know is much like a juice cleanse— fleeting, overhyped, and occasionally full of crap.

Talking with Lars always brings me back to my days at the FDA, particularly regarding the tangled mess of biotechnology regulation. This time, a California judge’s decision to roll back progress on the oversight of genetically engineered crops effectively shoved American agriculture back into the 1980s.

This week, I joined Lars Larson to discuss a brutal flu season, the role of Tamiflu, and why universities are skimming millions off NIH research grants — sometimes as much as 60% — in the name of "overhead."

"The Last Ranger," an Oscar-nominated short film, depicts the poaching of rhinos in South Africa to collect the horns, a supposed aphrodisiac. Well, they don't work, just like some of the other superstitious nonsense that harms other animals for no good reason. It's 2025, not 2025 B.C. Enough already.

When I was growing up, menstruation was called “the curse.” It was a curse – once used to enslave women, including barring co-educational pursuits. It took the medical research of one woman, Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, to prove that menses was a normal bodily function with no detriment to mental and physical performance. In so doing, she revolutionized not only medical education for women, shattering the prevailing “hysteria-ization” of the female.

There are wonders of the visual world—this week, dive into the hidden beauty of the plants that keep us alive, the less beautiful reality of why doctors over-test, and the existential crisis gripping young physicians who now see medicine as just another job. And if that wasn’t enough, we also have HIMs peddling pharmaceuticals. Some things are worth a closer look—others, not so much.

Science fiction has a way of masquerading as science fact — until someone like me comes with a bucket of cold, hard evidence. But let’s be real: debunking nonsense takes exponentially more effort than producing it. Jonathan Swift knew it in 1710, and here I am, centuries later, still speaking my truth before the next viral misinformation dumpster fire.

When COVID-19 vaccines rolled out, public health officials largely followed a simple logic: protect the most vulnerable first. The Great Barrington Declaration advocated for "focused protection" of the elderly and at-risk. But what if neither approach was the best way to save lives? A new study suggests that focusing on prevention — cutting off transmission routes — could sometimes be the smarter move. Did we get the vaccine strategy all wrong? Let’s dive in.

While our ancestors wagered on chariot races and bloodsport outcomes, today's high-tech hustlers are busy cashing in on online odds. As billions are wagered on sporting events and online platforms dominate the industry, an emerging public health challenge – one that includes depression, bipolar disorders, and suicidal behavior – demands our attention.

Recent senatorial hearings reflect the move to convict UPFs (ultra-processed food) as the culprit responsible for society’s obesity and juvenile metabolic diseases “epidemics” while deflecting focus from infectious disease prevention. But, in pursuing UPFs, are we ignoring other contributory or confounding factors like nicotine withdrawal, a couch potato culture and social media sloth, sugar substitutes, and environmental toxins? Before we torch the Twinkies, perhaps we should be sure we’re not pursuing the wrong perpetrator.

Allergic reactions to vitamin B12 are rare, but real. The reason may sound strange, but it's true - an allergy to cobalt. What's going on here? The Food Babe has a possible suggestion, but it's ridiculous. Let's sort this out.

Rabies is a terrifying disease; any mammal can contract it. And for people unfortunate enough to, it's fatal. It's the scourge of the Earth. And yet, with the rise of RFK Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, we need to talk about preparing for its return.

Another week of reading. Where the government dissolves consumer protections like sugar in a banker’s coffee, AI contemplates its cursed existence, and the poultry industry reminds us that maybe—just maybe—prevention is cheaper than mass extinction. Meanwhile, Americans are smuggling eggs, and banks are free to nickel-and-dime you without oversight. But we still have birds doing incredible aerial stunts.

With prescription opioid overdoses plummeting and no more pharma companies to sue, America's drug warriors are running out of bogeymen to justify their crusade against pain killers. The solution? Redefine responsible opioid use as a disorder and turn millions of chronic pain patients into addicts—at least on paper.

The poultry supply chain has perfected the art of turning living creatures into nuggets with more chickens slaughtered in two years than all the humans who have ever existed. Can emerging technologies make this conveyor belt of clucking misery less grim?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become the latest villain in our never-ending search for an easy scapegoat. But before we set fire to our snack aisles and declare Oreos public enemy number one, let's take a step back and ask: Are UPFs really the root (or only) cause of obesity and metabolic disease, or are we just indulging in another round of the blame game?

Did you ever take a swig of aspartame-sweetened diet soda and have it taste nasty? Sour, metallic, and vile, but not sweet. It's gone bad but it's not bad for you. Here's why.

Our ancestors had to rely on their vision to find safe, nutritious food. But today, we’re surrounded by so much eye candy that we’re practically glutinous over virtual meals. Let’s explore visual hunger, where your brain sees food, goes into overdrive, and tricks your body into thinking it’s time to eat — again.

The flames may be out, but the real battle is just beginning. The Los Angeles fires have left a toxic legacy far beyond the charred remains of 17,000 structures—now, the EPA faces its most extensive fire clean-up ever. With hazardous chemicals, lithium-ion battery risks, and residents desperate to rebuild, all eyes are on the response of Lee Zeldin’s EPA.

Deny excellent studies, promote poor studies, and call anyone who disagrees with you a shill for Big Pharma.

After a long, soul-sucking commute, fast food may be the great American compromise between hunger, exhaustion, and the ticking clock. Economists, ever the observers of our most mundane decisions, have now quantified how much traffic-induced time loss nudges us toward the drive-thru and away from the supermarket.

Is your breakfast routine being slowly eroded by rising prices and disappearing staples? Orange juice? Endangered. Coffee? Under siege. Eggs? Basically a luxury item now. Meanwhile, political name games over Denali/McKinley continue, evolution is still a hot-button issue in 2025 (because, of course it is), and private equity has found a way to make firetrucks scarce. Let’s dive in.

Imagine resurrecting a long-debunked myth, slapping a fresh coat of pseudoscience on it, and dropping it just in time to sway public opinion before a major political hearing. That’s exactly what happened with a new “study” claiming a link between vaccines and autism. However, this paper isn’t groundbreaking research; it’s a carefully orchestrated stunt, dressed up in scientific jargon, bankrolled by anti-vaccine activists, and riddled with methodological flaws big enough to drive a truckload of expired hydroxychloroquine through.

If you’ve been on the internet recently, you’ve likely encountered Bryan Johnson’s meticulously optimized, data-driven quest for eternal youth, complete with an army of supplements, plasma transfusions, and an alarmingly rigid daily schedule. Is Johnson genuinely cracking the code on longevity, or is this just another ultra-expensive wellness grift disguised as science with a bar chart and biomarkers?