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Immunology studies the way we maintain our body’s integrity – “immunity’s central motif” – as well as our definition of self. Differentiating our self from "other" has many scales, and it's been used to separate tribes, ethnicities, nations. So in addition to cells, can immunology also help us understand the interactions of humans?

When it comes to finding new antibiotics, no place is too weird to look. Three separate teams of researchers have identified potentially useful antibiotics from some of the strangest places imaginable: Sponges, sea snails, and marine worms.

Since I believe laughter is often the best medicine, I didn’t have to look very far to find funny movie scenes that also delivered meaningful medical lessons.

Antibiotic resistance is a crisis. One of the driving forces is that the drugs are overprescribed by primary care physicians. Although there are efforts to minimize the unnecessary antibiotics being given to those who don't need them, a new study shows that they're just not working.

Once again, the Ramazini Foundation published a study suggesting that the artificial sweetener sucralose causes cancer —specifically blood cancers — in mice. But a panel from the European Food Safety Authority analyzed that study and found that its conclusions were spurious and in no way should be construed to indict the sweetener. Can we say we told you so?

We are being confronted with very important questions about the anti-GMO movement and Mr. Ruskin, an anti-GMO activist who operates the website U.S. Right to Know. Are anti-GMOers also anti-vaxxers?2 If not, then why do they take money from anti-vaxxers?

Glucose and fat are essential to powering muscles. But glucose is the only energy source that fuels the brain and sustains motivation. Scientists believe that if glucose depletion could be reduced, "hitting the wall" – or for marathoners, giving up – could theoretically be delayed. A recent study examined this glucose-brain connection.

Our innate coagulation – or clotting – cascade is quite a dynamic, but formidable system. When optimally effective, it manages retention of a balanced condition between not too much bleeding and not too much clotting. Let's take a look at how to reduce your chances of developing pathologic clots.

Boron is not a word that comes to mind over small talk. You may have never even uttered the name of a rather uninteresting metal. But some of the chemical compounds that contain boron are very cool. Don't be a boron moron, and give this a look. 

When the House of Representatives says it will "defund" Planned Parenthood, it sounds simple. But it's not – because lawmakers will have to enact new rules about who gets paid via Title X and Medicaid. That would mean that many women (and some men, too) wouldn't have access to a wide variety of both contraceptive, and general, health care.

High-profile incidents in which a mentally ill person commits a violent crime has led to the stereotype that these struggling people all pose a dire threat to society. But a team of researchers, studying data from more than 75,000 patients, has developed a model that accurately predicts which patients are unlikely to become violent.

For those of you who are following herpes vaccines in development, the news out of Australia isn't bad. Or especially good. Admedus just released Phase IIa clinical trial results of its herpes simplex 2 vaccine. Even the company didn't seem all that enthusiastic (which is, in a way, OK.)

Astronauts get it in space, as do passengers when riding in trains and cars. And some of the latest gaming technology has created new entrants to Club Queasy: virtual reality enthusiasts. So while motion sickness is a very common condition, it doesn't have a definitive cure. But here's how you can manage it when it strikes.

A high-profile paper has finally been retracted by the journal Science after 10 months of investigation. The work has been ruled to be so full of negligence by an ethical review board – which discovered missing data and flat-out lies – it's a wonder how it was ever accepted in the first place. 

And, the award for best promoting public health and being a patient advocate goes to ... musician Ed Sheeran!

With new pregnancy come new health story ideas! Indulge me for a minute: we've started a new segment called The Pregnancy Diaries. Let's talk health issues, questions and expectations when expecting!
First up: Ana Dolaskie's Top Five First Trimester Woes!
 
 

While brilliant, Stephen Hawking states uninformed opinions, like when the theoretical physicist claimed a few years ago that "philosophy is dead." In an upcoming documentary, Dr. Hawking says humans must flee from the planet because of "climate change, asteroid strikes, epidemics and overpopulation." But he's wrong on every single count.

Recently, in a room full of microbiologists, this question was posed: "How many of you believe climate change is the world's #1 threat?" Silence. Not a single person's hand was raised. Were they all rejecting science? No, not at all. They just didn't see it as threatening as antibiotic resistance, pandemic disease or geopolitical instability.

US News & World Report: What were you thinking running this advertorial for nonsense?

The search for the "best" way to lose weight has lately focused on the idea of intermittent fasting. But unfortunately for its enthusiastic proponents, a new well-designed study indicates that simply changing the pattern of calorie restriction isn't more effective for weight loss than simply restricting energy intake consistently.

Medicine has used algorithms and machines to make diagnostic statements for many years. But are we prepared for algorithms that we don't understand?

RT is Russia's propaganda outlet in the U.S. and around the world, which broadcasts "news" that advances the agenda of President Vladimir Putin. Ruskin heads U.S. Right to Know, which insists on GMO labeling as a way of scaring Americans about food safety. And USRTK gets a ton of dough from a group which is known to propagandize for RT.
 

The latest fad in health and wellness comes in the form of pricey water: Hydrogen water. What is it you ask? It's simply water, with a little boost of hydrogen. What does it do for the body? According to proponents, anywhere from energy boost and mood improvement, to... wait for it... cancer prevention! 
 
Yeah, we had to step in.

Drivers distrust self-driving cars just as much as they did a year ago, with three of four adults seeking to avoid them according to a new consumer-research survey. However, there is "interest in emergency braking and steering system technology" – as long as drivers can keep their hands on the wheel.

The American College of Surgeons recently announced submissions of their plan for attribution of care and physician payment to the Health and Human Services Department’s Planning and Evaluation Office of Health Policy. Let's discuss their approach to attribution, since surgery is a team activity.