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The politicization of science was on display during the last Republican presidential debate, and former network news anchor Dan Rather took to the internet to criticize the candidates on their science positions. But surprisingly, Rather had equal scorn for targets on both ends of the political spectrum.

The FDA and CDC are expressing concerns about the potential for rising rates of transfusion-associated infections, with both agencies calling for more testing and precautions. Cash-strapped blood banks are not nearly so concerned.

Mommy-bloggers paid by the organic industry have been generating fear campaigns of late with "if you love your children ... " guilt trips, pressing consumers to buy organic. In response, David Zaruk says this nutty movement has challenged him to come up with reasons not to.

Someone, somewhere, sometime ago came up with the feel-good idea which has been widely accepted that spring was the perfect time to give the house a good, comprehensive cleaning. But when you stop to think about it, and challenge that notion with a bit of logic, don't we have it backwards?

CVS recently announced that its stores are expanding over-the-counter access to Naloxone in 12 states, widening its availability to 14 states overall. The life-saving drug reverses opiate overdose.

With help from a team of doctors and researchers from UCLA, UC Irvine and UC Orange, a paralyzed young man can walk once again using a non-invasive device that links neuronal signals to his lower extremities. Virtual reality technology assisted in the medical advance.

A recent New York Times op-ed called for universal testing for the BRCA genes among women of Jewish descent, whose ancestry is from eastern Europe. The frighteningly high rate of BRCA positivity and the dire prognosis of such carriers are cited as the primary reasons.

Roche released Phase III trial data on its new multiple sclerosis drug, ocrelizumab, which appears to have an advantage over other MS drugs. It's been shown to treat primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) the more severe, and previously untreatable, form of the disease. No other drug does this.

According to a new study, not all breast cancer patients need to undergo chemotherapy. Researchers reached this conclusion through a large study that analyzed the specific genes in each women's tumor. It's a big step forward for personalized medicine and high-value care.

It was a bad week for medical ethics. First, Martin Shkreli and his company Turing raised the price of a generic drug for Toxoplasmosis 50 fold simply because he could. Now a California company is selling an unapproved diagnostic test kit for early detection of cancer by claiming that it is not a diagnostic kit after all.

Cycling is a great way to stay fit, but only if you're careful. A recent study from JAMA shows adult biking injuries are on the rise, especially in men over 45 years old.

Many people count the days until their permanent vacation from work. But a new study indicates that you may want to hold off from leaving your job too soon, since it might be detrimental to your health. Working a few more years may be the healthy -- and smart -- alternative.

If you ask nutrition experts about vitamins, they'll tell you all we need is what is typically already found in our diets. But if you ask the vitamin industry, you'll hear the exact opposite. Lucky for you we have the doctors on staff to tell you the truth.

Organic proponents make concessions based on reality, like arbitrarily defining which pesticides are acceptable, but allowing deviations if based on need. Over 50 synthetic exemptions and counting.

A Swedish study keeps beating a dead, impotent horse that exposure to a group of plastic softeners called phthalates has a negative impact on male fertility. Studies don't get much worse than this. All the authors did was to prove that they are capable of embarrassing themselves.

There's new research supporting the notion that breaking up periods of inactivity with any kind of movement can lead to a longer life. We already know that it's best to avoid sitting for long periods of time, but now it appears that even fidgeting can produce positive health results.

The Salk Institute released a study in the journal Cell Metabolism which highlights the erratic behavior of human eating patterns. Researchers did this using a photo app that could have wider implications for diet, weight loss and public health.

Researchers accuse the majority of doctors who operate on patients with asymptomatic carotid artery occlusive disease as acting "deplorably" and "unethically." A new study confirms several others showing that medical therapy is at least as effective and far safer.

There has long been concern that dietary guidelines are increasingly political. A new analysis contends that the U.S. Congress was right to schedule a hearing with Obama administration officials to ask why only some scientific literature was included in the recent guidance.

Coke does not think that doling out 1/1,000,000th of their annual revenue is causing any group to go from hating soda to promoting it. Yet simplistic conspiracy theorists often insist it must be so.

Despite the action, Whole Foods is not worried. The huge grocery chain casually dismisses it as a lawsuit-happy activist group. But hey, isn't that ironic? It the very same thing they have benefited from so many times before in the past.

Are you failing to get enough jellyfish in your diet? If so, you better hurry out and get some supplemental jellyfish, because ... well, just because. The company that sells the useless junk claims that it will improve your memory. But they obviously forgot to run clinical trials to prove it.

Researchers in Japan are reporting a first in the field of stem cell research: a kidney grown from same cells in the lab and transplanted into both mice and pigs. But more importantly, they got the kidney to work inside these models.

Clostridium difficile, aka C. Diff. is a very serious, common infection that can cause life-threatening diarrhea. It is very difficult to treat with antibiotics, especially since the infection often arises from antibiotic use for other infections. But there may be new way to control it by use of a novel antibody.

The stoic farmer farmer of today is much like the stoic scientist: neither likes the idea of self-promotion. But because neither group likes that task, the discourse about their work is instead framed by well-funded detractors.