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In a nod to science, Newsweek reported that there might be genetic underpinnings to obesity. So kudos, for at least that. But why not share the actual science instead of dumbing it down to, “Regardless of how much you eat, your weight may be out of your hands?” For the scientifically-literate explanation, here it is.

How did a frog that doesn't live in Louisiana get a habitat there? It was part of a sue-and-settle agreement arrangement between the government an environmental group, and it could cause the Supreme Court to dismantle the Endangered Species Act.

We're entering the danger season — first Thanksgiving, then Christmas and finally New Year's, all in about six weeks. Three chances to wreak havoc with all our good dietary intentions. How bad can it get? Pretty bad — just one holiday dinner can provide more calories than most of us should consume in a day.

In an effort to combat patient non-compliance with medications, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first pill with an ingestible tracking sensor. Will it be used for good or evil, or something in between? 

Uh oh. Winter is coming (sorry, Game of Thrones fans) and a little monster is getting ready to sweep through homes, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. The monster is norovirus aka the "stomach flu" and it's coming to get you. It can so easily since it's the most contagious virus of all. Anything to prevent it? Let's ask the "experts."

With a government creating misguided policies using false media narratives about pain doctors and patients(1), the opportunity is open for groups selling "natural" analgesic alternatives, but the public should beware. If it is an alternative to medicine, usually it either does not work at all or, if it does, its effects are unknown.

Here's how the fruit fly has solved a problem that continues to vex Amazon and Netflix, a problem that involves our memories and preferences. As it turns out these little, curious creatures can teach us a thing or two.

Before you pay for the juice cleanse, learn how your body actually rids itself of harmful toxins absolutely free of charge. The American Chemical Society's video series explains how our very own bodies are equipped to help keep us clear of toxins.

Producing apples with characteristics of a sweet Macintosh or tart Honey Crisp isn't easy. A key part of the process in making apples is genetic manipulation – whether they're organic or not.

The American Heart Association's new high blood pressure guidelines are about treating patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. It is not about the 50% of patients now declared hypertensive, even though that is what the mainstream media reports.  

A review paper (1) recently found that organic crop yields are 19-25% lower than conventional systems.

Obesity is hard on knees. It's well-known that excess weight can lead to arthritis in the weight-bearing joints — knees and hips. Less understood is the risk of knee dislocations and subsequent vascular damage, which is also increased in the obese and morbidly obese populations.

Predictions have it that this year's flu strain is bad. Tragically, a California toddler's recent death reminds us of just how virulent the flu can be. And he won't be alone. There are roughly 100 pediatric deaths a year from the flu. To see just how soon we will be walloped by flu cases, take a look at the graph in this article.
 

1. Medicare Part D was controversial during its passage yet now is regarded as a success - and it may be the future of Obamacare. Making that case was no less than a Senator who was against Medicare Part D at the time, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, whom I met at the American Action Forum meeting.

Protecting foreign service members is one of the most important responsibilities of the U.S. State Department. So, reducing the number of American diplomats in Cuba – as well as expelling Cuban diplomats from Washington, to emphasize the situation's gravity – is entirely appropriate, especially since we still have no idea what actually happened.

Women are underpaid. That's because, in the workplace, they're not considered equal to their male colleagues. They come with other needs, most significantly from an economic point of view, a need for flexible hours – and a resulting penalty is assessed. But the marketplace is now reducing this disparity.

This year's announcement for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was like when the big movie that everyone's talking about fails to take home the Oscar. Just as when filmmakers understand why the small, indy film won, the same is true here.

With respect to the state of England's National Health Service and its rapidly eroding quality of care, the bad news just keeps coming. Recently, its new chief hospital inspector declared that, among other serious issues, current practices endanger patients.

Air pollution in China has a substantially negative impact on public health. But with the exception of central and southern California and the upper Midwest, the United States has extremely clean air. And in fact, most regions in this country would not benefit from tighter air pollution standards.

Tom Petty, the rock 'n roll guitarist who first gained fame in the late 1970's with his band, The Heartbreakers, and maintained his popularity ever since, went into cardiac arrest before dying Monday night. But what is cardiac arrest, and how does differ from a heart attack? We explain.

As great as is it, who would have expected the TV series Game of Thrones to be fodder for a chemistry lesson about electrons, oxidation, reduction and tin. But it is, thanks to (former) King Stannis Baratheon. Whoever said that chemistry wasn't magic?

A little girl sitting near the field at Yankee Stadium got hit in the face with a baseball travelling 105 miles an hour. This type of tragedy doesn't occur frequently, but when it does the results are catastrophic. And the solution – protective netting – is simple and extremely effective. It's time that all teams enact this public safety measure prior to the start of next season.

Hey, UCI administrators ... in the wake of receiving your recent $200 million gift, there's something pretty basic that you're still not getting. When it comes to alternative medicines you can't choose selectively among them. You're either practicing medicine or you're practicing something else. What's it going to be?

At last, a bit of science in the form of observational data. That science can more meaningly inform guidelines for prescribing opioids (at least by surgeons) than the unsupported advice of the Centers for Disease Control. 

The origin of life is a profound mystery. Once life arose, natural selection and evolution took over. But the question of how a mixture of various gases created life-giving molecules that arranged into structures capable of reproducing themselves remains unanswered.