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Testicular cancer has always been a bit of an outlier. A new study reinforces this concept, as it finds that almost half of all cases are caused by inheriting faulty genes. In comparison to other cancer types, this figure is very high.

There's a silly article in Wednesday's Washington Post which suggests that you're better off eating your hideous airplane meal while sitting on the toilet, rather than in your seat using the tray table. It's not just silly. It's scientifically impossible.

There are moments when instead of lamenting the decline in intelligence in young people, we should be admiring their ingenuity. Here is one of those moments worth considering.

An innovative approach to quelling the scourge of diamondback moths -- resistant to many pesticides and costing billions globally per year -- is genetic modification. Smaller studies are proving to be effective, with larger field trials pending. That is, if anti-GMO zealots' concerns can be evaded.

A drug called synthetic marijuana is now hitting pockets of New York City very hard. Don t let the name fool you. It has little or nothing to do with pot. It is far more dangerous -- and legal.

A recent survey concludes that teen e-cigarette use leads to nicotine addiction and then cigarette smoking, but the conclusion doesn't necessarily match the data.

Beginning in 1976, the American Council on Science and Health began clarifying the difference between a health threat and a health scare. A recent write-up reminds the public about this important difference, and pays homage to one of our founders.

Does showering hurt your health? A Cambridge, MA company believes that taking a shower harms your microbiome, so it's developed a new probiotic spray to use in lieu of regular washing. One executive embraces this idea so strongly that he hasn't showered in over a decade.

People who have had chickenpox are at risk for shingles an extremely painful condition that usually appears in older adults. It can be prevented by a vaccine. But now that shot is only recommended for people over the age of 60. Is this a reasonable restriction?

Is it a smart food choice? Or is it just another fad like many weight loss miracle pills, powders and martini diets?

The Eko Core smartphone device, which wirelessly transmits heart information for analysis, has received FDA approval and is now accepting orders.

Credit: Rafael Anderson Gonzales Mendoza

The fight for polio eradication has been making a lot of progress recently but there is unfortunate news this week from the Ukraine: 2 new cases have popped up in the country.

Ever wonder if mom loves the kids or the dog more? Well the federal government was curious too so they wasted your tax money trying to find out.

HIV drugs have performed in ways that are nothing short of miraculous. Of the 673 HIV-negative gay men in San Francisco who participated in a study of the prophylactic efficacy of Gilead's Truvada, all 673 remained uninfected two years later, despite lower condom use by gay men. Amazing. Gilead also came up with the first cure for hepatitis C. Yet, the company is routinely demonized.

The big question about biosimilars is, is similar good enough?

Should the government decide if it s mayonnaise, or should your palate?

Budtender, can I get another? Marijuana bars are all the rage at young weddings.

One year ago CVS decided to stop selling cigarettes at all their stores nationwide. Now they are patting themselves on the back because smoking is down in the past year. Not so fast, groups like ACSH deserve the credit for the plummeting smoking rates.

Organic food has long been a concern for food safety proponents but as its popularity grows, so may the risks.

Gaydar is become part of our lexicon, but what the term is really just insensitive stereotyping. Furthermore, studies have shown that not onyl do people not have "gaydar", but if they think they do it can be weaponized against people.

Homeopathy is the system of using extremely dilute solutions of the disease-causing entity itself to treat the disease.

Methanol sounds scary but fear evaporates quickly when people find that even if you consume nothing but aspartame all day, you will get about half the methanol that's in a banana. Yet charlatans continue to claim artificial sweeteners will give you cancer.

As access to Wi-Fi grows, so it seems are the number of people claiming to be afflicted with EHS, or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome. But the science supporting this suspect condition is weaker than the radiation emitting from your no-threat home router.

As if cancer patients don't have enough to worry about, they often must go through torture in the form of nausea and vomiting. Fortunately, a new drug called Varubi received FDA approval, and it's extremely effective in preventing these dreaded side effects of cancer chemotherapy.