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Taking advantage of today's toxic, confrontational mindset are outlets like SourceWatch. The website is like a politicized, unscientific version of Wikipedia. Volunteers – rather than qualified experts – write smear articles about people and groups they don't like (one of them being us).

ACSH's Dr. Jamie Wells attended the Congressional Luncheon hosted by the Center for Excellence in Education, in support of STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – education. Both Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Ted Cruz had prominent roles in the Washington, DC gathering.

Metabolomics is an emerging field that studies the "unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind." In this case, it's applied to what we eat. And coupled with machine learning, this may well give us very personalized diets to improve our health.

There are many reasons not to take dietary supplements, just take a look at some of the stuff we've written in the past.  But to jog your memory, here are five reasons not to start taking dietary supplements, or multivitamins. 

Bacteria are ubiquitous. While most are benign, they inhabit every surface we touch. They're on our companion animals, as well as all over our food and loved ones. Perhaps the scariest is Yersinia pestis — the cause of the black plague – which killed 60 percent of Europe during a 14th century outbreak. So, can it return?

Public health is a field that's widely misunderstood, even by science journalists. That's because epidemiology is an inexact science, complicated by a large variability in the quality of the data it produces. Also, by its reliance on advanced statistical methods. 

Listening to the tranquil sounds of nature makes you feel more relaxed. Most people would believe that statement to be true, since it's both plausible and intuitive. And factually, maybe it is true. But can it be scientifically proven? British researchers tried to, but following their reasoning was analogous to getting lost in the woods.

We know you're not going to attach an intravenous line to an orange to get a vitamin-C boost, but this picture is worth a 1,000 words. Hyper-healthnicks are visiting "infusion clinics" for IVs of all sorts of vitamins and minerals. These costly clinics may have a dubious connection to "good" health, but hey – they sue are chic and comfortable. 
 

Is science political? Around climate change, yes it is. But regarding oxidative phosphorylation, not so much. A new paper uses the market to describe the politics of science.

The FDA announced new regulations on tobacco products — some good, some not so great. We'd like to see the data supporting the idea that lowering the nicotine level in cigarettes would be less addictive. But we applaud the move to give tobacco manufacturers more guidance and time to apply for approval of their products.

People trying to quit smoking won a major battle last week when the FDA announced it would delay implementation of regulations that would have deemed a number of e-cigarette products illegal. So why are some anti-nicotine advocates calling foul?

Apricot seeds are all over the internet - marketed as cancer fighters. But the seeds contain a chemical compound that, when ingested in high quantities (and by high we mean several seeds), can cause cyanide poisoning. 

Telling the difference between a viral and bacterial infection isn't always easy. Physicians end up guessing, which results in prescriptions being given for unnecessary antibiotics. A group is working on a new tool that could take the guesswork out of this important issue. 

In response to soaring opioid addiction and deaths, the U.S. is cracking down hard on the prescription of these painkillers. Aric Hausknecht, M.D., a neurologist and pain management specialist, speaks about pain control at a time when opioids, and the people who depend upon them, are being ostracized. 

A new kind of genetically engineered wheat is more efficient at absorbing phosphorus from the soil and, hence, should require less fertilizer.

John Urschel, 26, an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, abruptly retired from the NFL. The decision by the soft-spoken genius pursuing a math doctorate at MIT, came just two days after the release of a a weighted CTE study, which stated that of the late NFL players' brains 99% tested positive for the disease's irreversible, degenerative brain damage.

Here's some advice for you ambitious urban cowboys out there: Wash your hands after you touch your chickens. Cook your eggs thoroughly. And be on the lookout for predators.

There's been a lot of back-and-forth about the value of electronic cigarettes for helping smokers quit. Some have said they're just gateways to smoking for youth, while others – us included – see them as valuable harm reduction tools for recalcitrant smokers. A new study supports the latter view.

As millions of uninspired, would-be exercisers know all too well, the reasons to avoid working out are endless.
"I can't fit it into my schedule" ... "it takes too long" ... "I don't go enough to make a gym membership worthwhile" ... and "I don't see enough results from going" are just a few of the tried-and-true, go-to excuses. 
If this is beginning to sound a little like your way of thinking, here are two words to strongly consider: jumping rope.

A pesky parasite lurks warm freshwater lakes and ponds in the dog days of summer.. It's not serious, but it's certainly itchy!

An interesting finding, that a sunscreen chemical may be useful in treating multiple sclerosis, gave us an unexpected treat: an opportunity to pound the chemical-scares industry. The sunscreen ingredient, homosalate, like just about every other chemical in the world, has been called an "endocrine disruptor" by groups like EWG. Too bad the paper that's cited as proof shows that it's not one at all. 

Once again, the meme that "natural" is good is disproven by the recent news that some Mexican papayas are contaminated with (natural) Salmonella. One person has died from the bacterial illness and people are being warned to avoid one particular brand.

Sometimes health advice is just too good to be true, like these beauties: "Eat pomegranates to prevent cancer" ... and "Organic food will make your kids smarter." But as for "Use sunscreen to treat an autoimmune disease" ... what? That's not possible, right? Well, the truth is that last one, as crazy as it sounds, just might be real. 

There are not a lot of firsts left here in New York; we've basically seen it all. However, a squirrel that's attacking park-goers in Prospect Park, Brooklyn may be just that. The city's Department of Health thinks that this squirrel might have rabies. If true, it would be the first rabid squirrel NYC has ever known. 

Did the North Korean regime hire former Soviet scientists to build a biological weapons program? Given what we know about both countries, the possibility cannot be ruled out.