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Manganese metal looks like, uh, nothing special. A shiny metal. But some of the chemical compounds that contain the element are very special. One, potassium permanganate may have been the inspiration for the name rock group Deep Purple.

Studying how cells heal themselves potentially has a wide application in medical research. And for the last 100 years slicing a single cell into two equal parts has only been done by hand. But a young, observant scientist and her fellow Stanford University researchers have just developed a method that's 200 times faster than the current process. 

Sunburn is not only painful, but can be a precursor to skin cancer, and thus is to be avoided as much as possible. But if you're unable to avoid too much exposure, a preliminary study suggests that vitamin D just might be able to help.

With a Prop 65 warning on glyphosate, environmentalists outmaneuvered the science community once again.

In the latest celebrity science flop, NASA officials called out Gwynneth Paltrow's company Goop for falsely promoting 'wellness stickers' made from NASA spacesuit material. Paltrow isn't the first nor last to make B.S. science claims to self-promote, so let's take a look at some of the most memorable Celebrity v. Science claims.

Whether you're a journalist, scientist, or layperson, the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid) appears to be an effective strategy for getting your message across.

Poor security resulting in 'cyber attacks' have resulted in regulatory fines and class action lawsuits. It is time to deconstruct what those fines and suits mean.

The real world implications of electronic medical records extend beyond the conceptual panacea, for better or worse. And then there's a rarely-addressed adverse effect. Let's take a look.

One headache drug discovery chemists face is a preternaturally annoying problem called crystal polymorphism. It can kill an otherwise promising drug unless it can be fixed, and sometimes it can't. But NYU chemists discovered that DDT exists in two forms, with one better at killing bugs, which could lead to using smaller pesticide amounts.

Turmeric, and its constituent curcumin are widely touted to be one of the wonders of traditional Chinese medicine, treating or curing everything from ankle sprains to cancer. But a recent careful review of the scientific data undercuts all these claims, labeling these compounds  as IMPs — invalid metabolic panaceas. Enjoy turmeric in your curry, but don't expect it to save you life!

Could it be that the Mediterranean Diet works best for those individuals raised or genetically associated with the Mediterranean? Put another way,are traditional diets, the ones consumed by our genetic ancestors keep us healthier?

Over time, wealth makes people desire a clean environment. That’s why environmentalists, if they are to be successful, must be pro-human at heart.

1. Friday was the premiere of "Food Evolution", a documentary about the many beneficial advances in agricultural science we have had, in New York City and Los Angeles. I had seen it before, two weeks ago, at the University of Guelph when they flew me in to give a talk. Guelph is an agriculture town, everyone knows a scientist or a farmer, they see the benefits of science and farming, and I wanted to see how that compared to New York City, where anti-science beliefs about food are the norm.  

Sulphoraphane, found in broccoli and other vegetables of that group, has been touted as an anti-oxidant for years – but without much evidence that it has a real beneficial health effect. However, recent research suggests that it might actually be useful to help people with type 2 diabetes maintain normal levels of blood glucose.

How profound. This concept, from the preeminent Harvard scientist and noted optimist, is worth examining in the context of biotechnology.

In less than two months, the entire continental U.S. will witness a total eclipse of the sun for the first time in nearly a century. On Aug. 21 those living in a 70-mile-wide band stretching between Oregon and South Carolina will be able to watch the moon completely block out the sun while they are treated with a rare, naked-eye glimpse of the burning star's solar corona.

Out-of-the-ordinary items of interest, including a young, popular fitness blogger killed by a cannister of whipped cream.

Initially developed in 1971 by Archie Cochrane, systematic review and meta-analysis attempt to examine the literature to find clinical answers. Initially a tool for clinicians, these summaries are now a source of media hype and fodder for policymakers. How do they work – and how can you tell if you're being hoodwinked?

WHO and International Diabetes Federation refuse to consider "prediabetes" a legitimate term. So why does the CDC want to convince 80 million Americans they have it?

Sometimes the CDC really gets it right, and let's give 'em credit! That's certainly true in the case of "chronic" Lyme disease. The agency explains that the symptoms some people suffer after successful Lyme treatment may be due to other tick-borne disease. But the chronic administration of antibiotics isn't necessary to treat a non-existent illness.

Recognizing the highly integrated nature of patient sharing between institutions, the Centers for Disease Control rightly aims to make a dent in healthcare-associated infection deaths by using a regional, nuanced approach. Thank you.

It's one thing to read countless stories about pain patients being subjected to indescribable suffering, thanks to a thoroughly misguided, foolish CDC attempt to "address" the opioid overdose epidemic. It's quite another to actually speak with one of them, whose story is haunting and profoundly upsetting. 

For a continent that (bizarrely) prides itself on turning away from religion, Europe has ironically replaced it with all manner of postmodern nonsense and pseudoscience. Welcome to the New Dark Age.

There's new data to suggest that women with breast implants could receive an incorrect diagnosis for a heart attack when undergoing an electrocardiogram. Doctors could not say this with certainty, but they indicated that this could very well be the cause. 

With the overload of information — bad, good and worse — from all media mediums, at all times, public confidence in it on the whole is plummeting. That's according to a new report identifying that only 37 percent of the public trusts evidence from medical research. Compare that to 65 percent who prefer experiences of friends and family to guide them.