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Just like the hapless victim in Three Card Monte, physicians will bear the brunt of financial risk in Medicare Advantage and other "risk sharing" plans. It is not that they shouldn't have skin in the game, it's just that all the skin should not be theirs.

Despite the chant that correlation is not causation, some researchers believe the design of scatter plots nudges us to the wrong conclusions. Can a change in their design lessen that risk?

A new device can use a non-invasive fingerprint to tell if someone is on drugs.

A new report on the plight of practicing physicians reflects a broken system. Nearly half of physicians plan to change careers, so maybe it's finally time to include them in the discussion on healthcare fixes.

What's it going to take for America to wake up? How many more people have to die before we realize that there's a humanitarian crisis happening on the sidewalks of our major cities? You can thank your local politicians for doing nothing to solve the problem, and in some cases, actively enabling it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million Americans get sick with a foodborne illness every year. How can this massive number be greatly reduced? By irradiating our food.

The chemophobia-for-profit crowd has a very good trick up their sleeve and they play it constantly because it works. Let's use this trick against them and show why a very scary chemical may not be scary at all.

If you are concerned that we aren't wasting enough time in court with stupid lawsuits fear not. There's another one in the works about the label of what is little more than fizzy water with a little flavoring. The case was written up by Popular Science, but to a chemist, Unpopular Science would be more accurate.

Tea tree oil is one of the most popular (and profitable) fads around right now. The Internet is bursting with health claims for just about every malady known to mankind. Could it be useful for treating herpes? Maybe. Here's a lesson in how antiviral drugs are discovered.

Without question, it was a fluke. A single-cell organism, only found in warm freshwater, entered a young man's nose and eventually ate at his brain tissue, leading to his death. While this is rare, is it smart – or simply alarmist – for others in similar situations to take preventative measures?

How lucky we are to be alive when, while enduring catastrophic events, the possibility of real-time help is literally at our fingertips.

The EPA is proposing increasing transparency in the science that informs our standards and regulations. Who would think anyone would object? The Huffington Post published an article that enhances fear through ad hominem attacks and veiled references to politically inspired anti-science. Shame on them.

There are naysayers who want to eliminate or otherwise "dethrone" the Nobel Prizes. Why? Sexism and racism, of course.

In the first federal study focusing on fast-food consumption, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 37 percent of American adults reported eating fast food within 24 hours of being asked. Nationwide, that translates to roughly 85 million adults visiting these establishments daily.

Sometimes we write in other places, sometimes our work is featured in other places, and sometimes other places use us for their conspiracy stories about science. Last week, we completed the trifecta!

The CDC has gathered six years of data on which bugs cause food poisoning. Norovirus infections lead the pack by a wide margin, but not for deaths and hospitalizations. Read about some other bad boys out there that you do not want to get. And if you act now, you'll enjoy a guest appearance by Game of Thrones characters!

When we talk about cost and price transparency, medical devices are rarely mentioned. It represents about 5% of our healthcare spending, or roughly $120 billion in 2017. That's less than the $500 billion we spend on pharmaceuticals. But then as the old saying goes, "a billion here, a billion there, after a while you are talking about real money."

Hospitals continue to be penalized for readmissions. But should we look at the size of the penalty, or the rate of improvement? More importantly, do readmission penalties improve care? Let's find out.

Most Americans likely don't give this much thought, usually disposing of unwanted medication by tossing it in the trash or flushing it down the toilet. But there are safer ways to rid yourself of these pills without creating unintended consequences. So before you chuck those vials, consider these alternatives.

A recent Supreme Court case presents the question of whether it's ethical to execute an inmate suffering from dementia, one who can no longer recall the crime.

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is a new book by neurologist and science communicator, Dr. Steven Novella. It is both an easy read and a great reference.

Deadly viruses that cause infections like West Nile, Zika and Dengue are passed from mosquitos to humans by bites. But what about HIV? Why isn't it also spread this way? Turns out it's a combination of virology and luck.

It's not a common side effect, but it's yet another addition to a long list of reasons not to see a chiropractor.

It's important to remember that the progress already made in the field is due to long-term support. But, the job isn't finished until people no longer endure this diagnosis along with its compounded suffering.

You may have seen a warning, that when you detect a vinegar smell from your bottle of aspirin it's time to toss it. But is this really a concern? Here are a few facts you may not know.