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The most inhospitable places on Earth usually host some sort of life, from the super-hot hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor to the ice of Antarctica. While not as extreme, caves are also quite inhospitable. Complete darkness serves as a harsh restriction on what can – and can't – survive there.

1. How ridiculous is the annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island? So ridiculous that the judges miscounted wildly on the number of hot dogs and no one noticed. Until winner Joey Chestnut insisted he had broken his own world record and eaten 74 in 10 minutes and the judges had to go back and review the 10 minute tape and actually count this time. And he was right, they were off by a whole plate, not just for him, but for the second place finisher.

This agonizing situation is a powerful reminder that nature will always be our greatest adversary. That said, current day understanding, innovation and progress is a formidable opponent.

It's been said that truth is the first casualty in war. It could also be said that truth is the first casualty in a decadent and declining society ... and journalists are leading the way.

The U.S. Congress is gearing up to re-fund efforts for biohazard preparedness. But are they getting the science right?

You surely have heard about peanut or pollen allergies. But can people be allergic to cold weather? Apparently, they can when it comes to the cold, otherwise known as cold urticaria.

Ambien has become fodder for late-night TV comedians and attention-seeking magazines. Sure, some mighty strange sleep behaviors have been reported. But in watching the news you might get the impression that there's an army of Ambien Zombies on the march. Nope, no such army. And for most, there's nothing to lose sleep over.

Identifying characteristics are essential to ensuring patient safety, so that the right treatment meets the right patient. 

America's birthday is also, tragically, its deadliest day. Here's why hospital emergency rooms staff up for that celebratory weekend every year. 

The cost of the annual cookout is down. But as we thank our farmers we should remember that what is good for the consumer may not be as good for the producer.

Normally a reliable source of information, Live Science published an article that is a dream for anti-pesticide and anti-chemical fearmongers.

It seems that when we compare the frequency of events, we're influenced by its past prevalence. When fewer bad things occur we simply expand the definition of bad to make up the difference.

South African track star Caster Semenya is in the middle of a controversy that she had no part in making. Her testosterone levels are naturally very high, and the International Association of Athletics Federations won't let her run certain races unless she takes medication to lower her testosterone. Should she have to take performance detracting drugs?

The case surrounding Caster Semenya, and fellow track athlete Dutee Chand, hinges on whether their endogenous androgens give them a competitive edge. Here's a breakdown of the report currently at the center of the "science."

It is officially July! In the medical world that means fresh graduates become interns or fellows or attendings. Along with such promotions comes high turnover departures and the refrain "don’t get sick in July." But, does this annual transition actually make patients more vulnerable to adverse events?

The recent reporting on Flint's water crisis by CNN's Christiane Amanpour has a tenuous grasp of the data and the reality. 

There is a fair amount of confusion about the terms "pharmaceutical fentanyl," "illicit fentanyl," and "fentanyl analogs." Read this and the confusion should go away. It is important to avoid inaccuracies here. Words can make a big difference. 

Data mining genomic data is a growing trend. This study seeks to determine whether nature or nurture control who gets ill. Turns out, it's complicated, and genes may not hold all – or any – of the answers.

Coffee is alternately championed and derided for its health effects. A new study introduces the genetics of caffeine metabolism into the conversation. 

If health care fixes continue to undermine the doctor-patient relationship, financial costs won't be the only price paid.

Who doesn't love the idea of quick and easy weight loss? Imagine being able to eat nothing but ice cream, and still losing 10 pounds. It sounds a little too good to be true, and that's because it is. Weight loss is a $66 billion dollar industry, and one of the most advertised, according to U.S. Weight Loss & Diet Control Market.

When it comes to cigarettes vs. vaping, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Here's why we can't preach an abstinence-only approach to nicotine.

Forty solid years after the Consumer Product Safety Commission implemented regulations for getting rid of lead-based paint, the US is still on the lead-based paint merry-go-round. Last week, I attended a Congressional hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Government’s Approach to Lead-Based Paint and Mold Remediation in Public and Subsidized Housing”, which hoped to figure out how the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can finally be rid of the pesky threat of lead-based paint in federal housing.

Round. Red. Good in salads and great on a BLT. Tomatoes are a typical find in the kitchens of families in the United States, so popular we are the world’s third largest producer of them.
Though some people like to engage in the “tuh-MAY-toh” versus “tuh-MAH-toh” debate, the more popular question when it comes to tomatoes has to do with their classification. Are the circular plants vegetables or fruits?
We're going to answer that once and for all. Maybe. Because science, history, and law create a lot of confusion.

In science and health, we are often looking for results that are considered to be “statistically significant.” The golden rule is if the p-value is less than 0.05, then the result is statistically significant, or “publishable.” However, the interpretation and use of p-values is often misconstrued.
What is a p-value?