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Congratulations to Canada for approving the use of irradiation to help prevent contamination of ground beef from causing foodborne illness. The process has been approved in the US for a variety of foods and purposes, and we're pleased that Canadians can also benefit from its use.

Body fat is more than just a storage depot for our excess calories. Along with the production of hormones such as leptin, adipose tissue is also the source of microRNAs that help regulate metabolism. Lack of these miRNAs can lead to at least some of the metabolic problems often associated with obesity.

Sadly, the news outlets just reported the seemingly untimely passing of actor, Bill Paxton, at the age of 61. Losing a loved one is a devastating event and we wish his family peace during this especially difficult time. In a family statement, it was revealed he suffered surgical complications.

Do you want to know how to make VX gas? Ask a chemist. Or look online. Just don't try it because a variety of things will happen—all bad. 

In a unanimous Supreme Court victory, a young girl with cerebral palsy, Ehlena Fry, and her service dog, Wonder, succeeded in making the ability to pursue justice against discrimination for those managing disabilities that much easier.

Kooky social authoritarian activists don't want the public to read science - it ruins their business model. So they want us banned.

Last week we asked the question "What Really Killed Kim Jong-Nam?" Today's news says it was the nerve gas VX. Maybe, maybe not.

Initial reports suggest that Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, was murdered with VX, a type of agent used in chemical warfare. What is it, and how does it work?

The American Medical Association owns the intellectual property rights to the system for determining physician fees – a property that generates  $72 million annually. Why?

It has become an accepted paradigm that how babies come into this world (vaginal delivery versus Cesarean section) dictates which bacteria colonize their bodies - establishing their microbiota that will affect their health throughout their lives. But, a recent publication calls that well-established idea into question - raising a lot of questions along the way. 

Our views on egg consumption — at least as far as heart disease goes — have changed dramatically in the past decade. They're no longer seen as a dietary villain. A new study suggests that not only do eggs not contribute dementia, which had been suggested by some animal studies, they may also be linked to a lower risk of such ailments.

If we could spend pretend money, California savings due to regulations would end the budget deficit in 2 months.

Did you ever stop to think "wouldn't it be nice to make puke smell like pineapple?" On the off chance that you haven't, and would like to know, here ya go. 

Ticks may be on their way to the operating room.

For the last decade or two, people have been looking for something to attribute to the increase in the number of people with allergies and autoimmune diseases. A lot of ideas have been floated around - cell phones, vaccines, hand sanitizers or anything else that we use more now than we did 20 years ago. 
On that list is also the increase of births done by Cesarean section.

We're currently in the middle of the FDA's open-comment period on genetically edited foods. To date, 191 comments have been submitted, the majority expressing a sentiment of "poisoning the people." Well, scientists and pro-science folks, now's the time to make the scientific community's voice heard. Here's how to do it.

Politics makes utter fools out of otherwise rational people. The vitriol aimed at President George W. Bush by his political opponents caused psychiatrist and political commentator Charles Krauthammer to coin the tongue-in-cheek term "Bush Derangement Syndrome." It caught on. Pundits subsequently seized upon the terms "Obama Derangement Syndrome" and "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

It's a headline perfectly befitting The Onion. Unlike stories found in the satirical newspaper, however, this one is absolutely true.
The Dakota Access Pipeline, which has replaced Keystone XL as the cause célèbre of the environmental movement, has united Native Americans and political activists in opposition. The merits (or lack thereof) of this infrastructure project are not relevant for this discussion. Instead, let's focus on the activists' incredibly bizarre and destructive behavior.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced they are temporarily suspending work by lab scientists in BSL-4 (aka biosafety level 4) facilities. They recently learned their current stock of air hoses that  attach to the protective suits worn by staff have not been certified for breathing air.

Beginning in May of this year, all cigarettes sold in the UK must be packaged to standards regulating material, size, shape, opening mechanism and more importantly with plain packaging.
And by plain packaging, I mean a "mud-green box" stripped of all branding. Like this: 

 
 
 
 

Past studies have suggested a link between cat ownership and psychosis, specifically Schizophrenia. But researchers say the latest studies simply don't show any association. That's bad news for the crazy ole cat lady, who can't use her feline friends as an excuse. 

When you are buying gasoline with a particular octane number, joke's on you. There is little or no octane in there, because octane will blow you engine up. A little primer on anti-knock additives. They're not so great either.

If the average person is asked to assess their own driving skills, most will give themselves an above average rating. By definition, half of all drivers are below average, but most people lack the self-awareness to realize this due to a cognitive bias known as illusory superiority.

United Healthcare, the largest provider of Medicare Advantage (MA plans) services, is being sued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for fraud. I think they may be right. They are gaming a system designed to protect Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers from excessive cost and they are very profitable. Did your revenue go up by 11.6% last year? Theirs did.