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Media coverage of the Ohio train derailment focused, understandably, on the personal tragedies of the town’s citizens. There was also considerable confusion about the chemicals' impact on the community's health. Yet there has been virtually no focus on the regulations already in place and why they weren’t more effective.

Panicked headlines recently warned that the popular artificial sweetener erythritol could increase heart disease risk. The study that generated these claims in no way supports that association. Dietary supplements are a multi-billion-dollar industry; they've also killed people. Do they need more regulatory oversight?

Recycle or reuse?
Body Rituals in Nacirema
The Real Tools of War
Killing Roald Dahl's "Little Darlings"

It was “Wall Street,” the movie released 36 years ago, that popularized thoughts about greed. But of course, greed has been a driver in politics and society for far longer. A new study looks at how U.S. senators speak of greed in their 280-character utterances that we call Tweets.

In response to Tranq – a horrifying "new" drug sweeping the nation – Kolodny, America's "drug expert," proposes a solution. And gets it all wrong.

For antibiotic biotechs, regulatory approval of a new product is often the beginning of the end ...

Creating super-kids holds an allure – at least to some parents and bioethicists. But there are serious risks, both to the individual child and society. We don’t even have all the information needed to make an informed choice. That hasn’t stopped the technology from being championed.

If you’re planning to vacation in Florida, it better be on the East coast. Because along the Gulf there’s an enormous red tide, which contains a potent neurotoxin that’s killed millions of fish, while also making a bunch of swimmers sick. And in case that's not enough, be prepared for 5,000 miles of sargassum, which is expected to wash up. We have that for you, AND a Dreaded Neurochemistry Lesson From Hell!

To meet the needs of local anglers, local and state governments often restock and replenish lakes with fish. Is that the best, sustainable way to create a healthy fish population? Might the answer tell us something about sustainably replenishing ourselves?

Advances in technology will continue to affect our lives in myriad ways. Technology Review magazine recently picked ten of the potentially most important ones. Let's see what we have to look forward to.

Bees are vital to our lives; without them, there would be no almonds, and few apples, onions, blueberries, carrots, or even, perish the thought, coffee. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, "more than half of North America’s 4,000 native bee species are in decline, with 1 in 4 species at risk of extinction.” The standard narrative in the words of Food and Water Watch is that “Bee colonies are in the midst of a massive die-off, thanks to dangerous pesticides that poison them and destroy their habitats.” A new study in Nature debunks that belief.  

One month after the Alabama Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos are legally considered children – and two weeks after the state’s Legislature undid the major impacts of that decision by protecting IVF facilities – the same issue was faced by several state legislatures. They punted. 

Unlike previous public health emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic had unmistakably partisan overtones. Politics exerted an unhealthy influence on how governments, scientists, reporters and ordinary Americans responded as SARS-CoV-2 swept across the world and upended our lives for the better part of four years. What went wrong and what can we learn from it?

As developers and health systems embrace artificial intelligence-powered software, a pressing question emerges: Who bears the burden when these innovations inadvertently harm patients? And especially when legal precedent offers only faint guidance. Let's take a look.

Doulas acting as patient advocates during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care may be a way to address poor health outcomes and health disparities. The evidence is compelling enough to warrant a closer look.

On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos destroyed at an IVF facility were children subject to the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, opening the door to civil and criminal liability. The state’s largest fertilization centers immediately “froze” their services. Two weeks later, now aware of the implications of this ruling, the Alabama legislature undid (some of) the court’s damage, providing legal immunity for IVF providers and receivers. But fear remains.

A web of altered neurochemical pathways and physical brain changes result in post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The interplay between cortisol dysregulation, heightened norepinephrine levels, and structural alterations in key brain regions make some individuals more susceptible to PTSD than others.

This ancient warning resonates today as measles, a highly contagious and once nearly eradicated viral illness, experiences a resurgence. Fueled by misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, recent years have seen a troubling increase in cases, threatening the progress of public health efforts.

Researchers examining the city's water system have produced some concerning data. Meanwhile, there's no reason anyone’s drinking water should be contaminated with lead. However, other than raising awareness of the problem, this study does little other than stir the water.

The EPA is moving farther and farther away from producing science-driven outcomes. Its final rule for regulating ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizers demonstrates how EPA is ignoring best scientific practices in its quest to advance the Administration’s dual agenda of “cancer moonshot” and environmental justice. 

In this week’s literary voyage, navigating the treacherous waters of government surveillance, the depths of human behavior, where the Shirky principle holds sway, the tempest of emotional and practical conversations, and confront the storm clouds looming over whether renewables shall be our salvation or the harbingers of a gridlocked fate.,

Naloxone and Naltrexone sound alike, look alike chemically, and are both used to counter the misuse of opioids. But pharmacologically, they're strikingly different. This is why the two drugs are used for different purposes. Confused? Let's clear things up.

William "Bill" Post, who recently passed away at age 96, may not ring a lot of bells, but his invention sure does. Post is credited with the invention of Pop-Tarts. The little devils were first marketed in 1964 but even after 60 years, they remain wildly popular – to the tune of three billion sold annually. Here's a non-serious look at Post and his breakfast-changing innovation.

Picture this: a farm where the phrase "the other white meat" takes on a whole new meaning. It’s where farmers swap their pitchforks for snake tongs and hooks, where the scales are tipped in favor of protein, and fewer greenhouse gases are released.

Reducing air pollution is a universally acknowledged goal, heralded for its potential to improve public health and environmental quality. However, amidst the enthusiasm for cleaner air, a critical question emerges: How effective have our efforts truly been?