Search results

What does Germany's election mean for science? Absolutely nothing, except that the preexisting anti-nuclear, anti-GMO, and anti-technology policies that were already prevalent under Mrs. Merkel will be reinforced. And the world won't notice.

Just a year and a half after removing artificial colors from Trix cereal, consumers are asking they be put back in. Food labeling remains more legal than educational, and more marketing than health-related.

It's a tough time for those infected with genital herpes. Genocea's candidate GEN-003 crashed and burned. The company announced that it's pulling the plug on the vaccine following Phase II clinical trials. It's disheartening news for the herpes community, but folks, keep your chins up. Other, and presumably better, candidates are still out there.

A Colorado toddler required emergency medical intervention after ingesting 28 high-powered buckyball magnets that began to erode. Major surgery can often result, depending on the urgency of the clinical situation, and it can possibly lead to the removal of segments of bowel. 

Over-the-top rhetoric is not only prevalent in our political dialogue, it is also commonly adopted by epidemiologists and journalists. Instead of Hitler, they compare anything they dislike to smoking.

Asthma is a very serious public health problem. Although traditional drugs work well for most, they're not good enough for others with a more severe disease. The approach to asthma has shifted to immune system modulation by biological drugs, and they're making a difference. But how good are they, and what else is out there?

While there are legions of plant researchers dedicated to the idea of using GMOs to maximize food production, there's a lesser-known syndicate of scientists trying to cultivate a different outcome: increasing plant output of biofuels. And regulating sugar levels is the key to boosting production.

The increasing concern about the role of p values in science has gone from a murmur to a loudly expressed concern. Is this just an insider's argument or is it a matter we should take seriously?

It’s been an enlightening time in the realm of public defecation. Video of two serial poop-and-run culprits in Colorado and Kentucky – respectively named  “The Mad Pooper” and “Poopman” – have baffled and united many onlookers. But the larger question is: Why is this happening?

Bacteria that are resistant to one, multiple or even all known antibiotics – commonly known as superbugs – are a leading concern in the medical and scientific communities. With traditional methods of combating infections not working alternative ways are required, starting with rethinking the instruments used in hospitals.  

It's time to get your flu shot. Every year, the medical community emphasizes the importance of getting the vaccine. And every year the same excuses pop up as to why many won't. Let us explain why one of those excuses – that the flu vaccine will give someone the flu – is simply not possible.

Someday, everybody will be wearing smart clothes. Not just clothes that look dapper, but ones that sense the environment and the body's vital signs, before pinging the data to your wristwatch or doctor. To get there, we'll need functional fabrics, and nothing beats the touch and feel of cotton.

An attorney for the family of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez says that brain damage, diagnosed as CTE stage 3, is likely responsible for his aggressive, self-destructive behaviors and most notably his suicide in April. As a result, he's blaming the NFL. But remember, that's a lawyer looking for a huge settlement. It's definitely not a doctor's medical diagnosis.

A recently published working paper states that the water in Flint, Michigan is presumably responsible for startling drops in fertility rates, and increased fetal deaths, as compared to neighboring cities. How reliable are these data and should we really be sounding alarm bells?

We expect physicians to give us scientifically sound advice on health. But some have taken the low road, leaving medicine for a career of quackery and self-promotion.

Sadly, a woman’s tragic story plays out in the real world more often than people may realize. When treating cancer can, at the same time, harm her baby, the choices can be horrendous.

A recent Politico story, topped with the headline "The great nutrient collapse" deserves a closer look. The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat – for the worse. In the article's conclusions the underlying science is both interesting, and a bit more constrained.

The University of California Irvine has accepted a $200 million donation to fund a center studying integrative medicine, which would firmly root the field of pseudoscience in academia. This not only legitimizes practices not backed by science, but it crosses a line where academia becomes a place where money influences what's true or false.

Single men, and men in committed relationships, have different behavioral responses to females at various stages of their fertility. A new study reveals that men may avoid temptation even more so when women are ovulating, when the threat is at its greatest.

Someone considering bariatric surgery, specifically the so-called Roux-en-Y procedure, will be glad to know that the benefits are long-lasting, according to a new study. Those who underwent it not only maintained much of their weight loss for at least 12 years, they also were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than equally-obese people who didn't have that surgery.

Researchers recently conducted a small study that showed promise for weight loss if you took part in a cheat day from your diet. Be careful, though, the plan can backfire.
 

At her last appointment, ACSH's Ana Dolaskie was told she is measuring small for gestational age? What does this mean? Since it could mean many different things, let's clarify. 

Only about 17% of Americans are "active science news consumers." At least most Americans seem to understand that the mainstream media is a terrible place to get science news.

Awful as it is, let's clarify the clinical picture of a toddler's tragic death in Brooklyn, N.Y. Reportedly, the 1-year-old's father "attempted to cure his chronic cough with a home remedy that included leaving the baby alone in a steamy bathroom." His body temperature eventually reached 108 degrees.

A new paper published online in JAMA Surgery concluded that when those with "penetrating injuries" were transported by Emergency Medical Services to trauma centers, the chance of death was two-and-a-half times greater as opposed to when a private vehicle was used.