Amazon decides to provide healthcare
Scientific uncertainty
The cultural impact of the Crock Pot
Being our healthcare brother’s keeper
Amazon
Regulatory capture refers to a type of “corruption,” in which a member of a regulatory body goes on to join those they once regulated. It's best thought of as having the fox guard the hen house. Last week, the FDA’s “top” tobacco scientist left for ... Philip Morris International (PMI), the makers of, among other brands, Marlboro cigarettes.
All told, there are probably a couple of hundred different causes of the common cold. Amazon's attempt to create a common cold vaccine is, therefore, a foolish waste of money. Instead, the asset-rich company should spend it on antiviral research.
As we grow more and more dependent on electronic devices to minimize even the smallest amount of physical effort, it cannot be terribly surprising that pampered Americans are turning to Alexa-controlled devices. Why? So they can become even lazier. And now Alexa has invaded the bathroom. There are even smart toilets and they listen. What could possibly go wrong?
Humans are natural-born storytellers. But with science, connecting the dots is storytelling, too, and that causes plenty of confusion. Also, the Malthusians report dwindling food and rising population. Can seaweed be an answer? Finally, a story connecting these dots: the Cold War, supermarkets, market distortions, Walmart and Amazon.
Delivery-focused technology is a boon for healthcare. Whichever company does it best will enhance care quality -- and even possibly reduce costs.
In 2017, Amazon bought Whole Foods. Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, built his billion-dollar empire on technology. Therefore, you might expect that Whole Foods would become a little friendlier to biotech. But if you did that, you would be wrong.
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. or SNAP, has successfully addressed food security – but it hasn't helped improve the diets of at-risk consumers. But now, the availability of online sales provides an opportunity where data and consumer feedback can be used to improve food choices for those facing significant health problems.