Search results

As mental health issues such as depression and anxiety become more prevalent, the question arises: Can artificially intelligent chatbots provide the necessary therapy and emotional support? For someone lying awake at 2 a.m. with no one to call, a chatbot might feel like a lifeline, offering comfort and reassurance. Yet when it comes to complex emotions, is artificial empathy enough to truly help?

Abundance, not scarcity, has become the defining challenge of our time. From calorie-dense meals to the endless flood of digital content, we are surrounded by opportunities to consume far beyond what our bodies and minds require. Ancient wisdom and modern science both suggest the same solution: learning to stop at “enough” may be the surest path to health, clarity, and balance.

You can’t turn on the TV without seeing ads for glucose-lowering GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. A1C numbers are cocktail-party chatter. Helpful? Sure. But almost nobody knows the chemistry behind them. Here’s why the test works.

Could drinking caffeine potentially weaken antibiotics in your system? A recent study says maybe.
Sounds alarming, right? But don't ditch your latte just yet—let’s dig into the facts.

Unless you live under a rock, you're aware that pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in America, attracting tens of millions of players, especially geezers like me. Sure, injuries are common, if not required. But there are real benefits. Let's explore the madness.

Flu changes every year, so our vaccine has to change with it. Here’s the quick what-and-why behind the annual shot, how it’s picked, made, and when to get it.

Pain is not simply “in your head”—and reducing it to a brain-first narrative risks both stigma and substandard care. Real pain often originates in the body, whether from a fractured bone, spinal stenosis, or inflammatory disease, and deserves treatment grounded in science, not slogans. Patients need accurate, individualized solutions—not oversimplified mantras.

Stem cells made a public splash with large research breakthroughs in the 90s and early 2000s. However, since then, stem cells have largely been adopted by the alternative medicine and wellness world as a cure-all. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it’s definitely someone trying to make money off people’s vulnerabilities.

Ever wondered why your routine check-up is less than satisfying? Hidden thinking errors quietly skew medical judgment, leading clinicians to label perfectly ordinary people as “difficult” and overlook the mind-body link that could unlock real relief. Challenging these mental shortcuts might transform the experience on both sides of the stethoscope.

Unlike measles or polio vaccines, which last a lifetime, the flu virus mutates constantly, so we need a new shot every year. This year’s quadrivalent vaccine targets four strains and cuts your risk of getting sick by about 40–60%. Even if it’s not a perfect match, it's always worth getting.

Worried that your beloved gel manicure just got labeled dangerous? Don’t be. The “banned” ingredient (TPO) is safe at the tiny amounts in gel polish — so safe that Europe’s own scientific panel found a 1,500-to-1 safety margin before regulators pulled the plug.

The stock-trading website Raging Bull just gave Cocrystal Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech, a big thumbs up for its experimental antiviral norovirus inhibitor. The stock went nuts in anticipation of the first-ever drug for the infection. Is Raging Bull really Raging BS? Or is there something here?

People are still debating whether the mRNA from COVID-19 vaccines remains in the body longer than it should. Some say it lingers and causes harm, others say that idea just doesn’t hold up. A new article in Stat brings the issue back into the spotlight. Chemistry explains what's going on.

It's time for another round of listener Q&A. Join us as we tackle audience questions about the genetic drivers of heart disease and the problem of specialization in medicine on the Science Dispatch podcast.

Heavy metals get a bad rap. For the most part, it is deserved because they are usually toxic. Except when they aren't. You have probably consumed a whole lot of at least one or two of them, yet you keep rockin' on. Here's why.

Why do our playlists shrink as we age, even as algorithms flood us with endless new music? A new study tracks listening habits across decades and shows how our tastes evolve—and how streaming platforms shape them. The patterns may tell us as much about politics and culture as they do about music.

COVID vaccination is no longer one-size-fits-all: US health officials now leave booster decisions to individuals, and the WHO urges “focused protection” for those at highest risk. Yet without hard numbers on whose immunity fades fastest, personal choice is a shot in the dark. A new study maps each person’s immune rise and fall—offering the data we need to turn guesswork into tailored guidance.

"Board certified" is a common and persuasive credential, particularly in medicine, often implying a recognized level of expertise. However, this term doesn't automatically equate to scientific backing. For example, the Institute for Functional Medicine has a new board certification for its practitioners. While the title may sound official, the details suggest it's more of a marketing tactic than a genuine scientific or medical endorsement.

For decades, expectant mothers have turned to acetaminophen as the go-to remedy for pain and fever, reassured by its reputation for safety. A growing body of research challenges some of this long-held assumption, pointing to possible links between prenatal use and later neurodevelopment issues in children. How do we balance maternal comfort against potential risks for the next generation?

Obesity treatment is hurtling into a new era: once-a-week GLP-1 injections are edging toward the dramatic results of bariatric surgery, yet many of us remain tethered to the very habits that fuel weight gain. As a bariatric surgeon, let's unpack how these “satiety hacks” work, where they stumble, and why lasting success still depends on reshaping the lifestyle we can’t escape.

From tariff skirmishes that echo McKinley’s Gilded Age to microscopic fibers swirling from our washing machines, today’s challenges reveal how politics and science are inseparably entwined. Engineers mimic fish gills to trap microplastics, biotech labs enlist living cells to craft next-gen medicines, and Silicon Valley scripts digital “friends” to soothe a loneliness crisis.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s supporters are eager to rein in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical ads, claiming they mislead Americans about important health topics. But this anti-pharma coalition faces an awkward dilemma. After pushing regulatory rollbacks at FDA last year, they're now hindered by the very limitations on agency authority they demanded. Do we need to ban pharma ads, and is there a viable way to do it?

Stare decisis is the legal principle assuring that courts follow established precedents (prior decisions) when ruling on similar cases. Its purpose is to promote consistency, predictability, and integrity in the legal system. The principle works when cases are brought within the same jurisdiction. Still, courts are not bound by rulings from other states, and state courts are not bound by many federal court rulings, contributing to a hodgepodge of conflicting verdicts.

Addiction science is increasingly looking beyond clinics to technologies we already wear on our wrists. A recent trial suggests that wearables, better known for counting steps or tracking sleep, may also help people in recovery recognize stress before cravings take hold. The question is whether these early signals and breathing prompts can translate into lasting benefits—or if they are just another digital health fad.

The National Institutes of Health announced an initiative to study Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) utilizing data science. While pouring money into ASD research seems like a fine idea, the initiative and any corresponding announcements about results should be approached with caution.