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The legal system requires proof and in 2015 science is often likely to provide it, so lawyers need to know what is good science versus the junk kind.

It seems the time has come to ask not, what can your smartphone do, but rather, what can it NOT do? According to industry analysts, there are now about 17,000 apps that aim to help you stay healthy. The trend is quickly becoming a fad, and here's why.

Disturbing reports about commonly used drugs mean...what? Screening tests over-used, dietary recommendations revamped. In summary: Science Marches On. That s what science is all about, as new data lead to new conclusions for those able to adjust.

A new study published in International Journal of Food Contamination shows that pesticide levels in food are far below levels that would warrant health concern.

Consumers really want to eat more algae, says an advocate at the Solazyme corporation, which makes, you guessed it, products from algae, like cooking oil and...meat.

In 2013, a combined panel of cardiology and lipid experts under the aegis of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) published revised recommendations for candidates for statin therapy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke or sudden death due to coronary artery disease: CVD). Rather than focusing, as always before (e.g. the ATP-III published in 2003) on lipid levels, LDL especially, the new report emphasized overall heart risk using other parameters including age, weight, blood pressure, and diabete

We ve written before on scientific fraud and the problem of how easy it is to get papers with fake or manipulated data published. These studies that somehow make it through the publishing process can range from relatively harmless, such as the deliberately faked chocolate is good for weight loss study,

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.