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The American media focuses on the failures to control the coronavirus in this country, but a larger perspective shows that the virus is out of control in much of the world, especially in Europe. Some other countries are doing worse than the U.S., at least for the time being.

Should people who were given propofol be allowed to drive home? Are men drivers better or worse than women? Some ghastly chemistry poetry, and one of the funniest YouTube videos ever. Oh, to answer the original question: it's impossible to tell from this study. Here's why.

I've been writing about the barbaric war against pain patients since 2013. Despite the hundreds of desperate emails I've received, and the stories I've read, it has never entirely hit home. Until now. My very elderly mom is being put through the wringer, in order to get some tramadol for back pain. If this doesn't demonstrate the colossal stupidity of our drug laws, nothing does.

Until a few moments ago, I, too, had been a victim of "tl,dr." In fact, I had the disease but did not know its name. Tl,dr is an acronym to “Too long, didn’t read.” Admit it, you have suffered from the same malady, but help is on the way.

Not literally, but figuratively. Journalism's rule of thumb is true; bad news sells, and courtesy of a new study, we have some numbers to back that claim up. What we don’t know is why we prefer the negative over the positive.

Fear is a strong motivator; it is the basis of ‘Fight or Flight.” Long before the Florida business shutdown was declared, many self-anointed, at-risk individuals voluntarily stayed home. So what role does fear play in COVID-19 era? And specifically, to what degree is fear driving our behavior?

Science in the U.S. is under assault by postmodernism, political partisanship, and trial lawyers. Without a change in the direction of our culture, American technological supremacy is facing an existential threat.

Face masks and social distancing are the primary tools currently available for limiting the spread of COVID-19. The mask serves two functions: protecting the wearer by limiting the inhalation of airborne particles [1] and protecting others by reducing transmission of virus particles exhaled by an infected individual. This second role has not always been recognized nor well quantified. [2] 

The latest polling by the Pew Research Center shows that 60% of Americans are willing to get vaccinated to guard against COVID-19. That's based on a representative sample of Americans polled after the announcements by both Pfizer and Moderna. Here's a breakdown of who's willing to line up, based upon some demographics.

Those who favor indefinite lockdowns believe they have the moral high ground. They do not. In reality, they callously turn a blind eye to the economic and social devastation that their policy is causing.

Do you want to detox your body? If so, perhaps you'll want to try the Pure(TM) Detox Foot Bath. Its maker claims that for a mere 130 bucks you can purge your body of toxins that come out (through your feet) looking suspiciously like a super-sized portion of diarrhea. Can this possibly be true? Keep reading.

We don't have an unlimited supply of diagnostic tests for COVID. So, researchers have developed nine simple questions that can predict whether someone is likely to have the disease.

As the possibility of an effective COVID-19 vaccine grows, there are questions of distribution. The first-come, first-served approach seems (and is) too random to save lives or the economy. We need some form of prioritization, and here we are in uncharted territory; there are no facts, only computer models. Let's consider one optimized to save the most lives. 

A few weeks ago, our medical director, Chuck Dinerstein, sat down to discuss ACSH with Great.com on their podcast “Great Talks With.” Great.com is a Swedish company funded by online gambling and dedicated to talking “with organizations and experts dedicated to doing good in the world.” Dr. Dinerstein discusses our role in separating science fact from science fiction in a media environment where trustworthy commentary is difficult to find.

There's growing evidence that B.1.1.7, a variant of concern, or VOC, is more infectious than the garden variety COVID-19. What's been missing is data on whether it's more aggressive and lethal. Media reporting says it “may be 30% more lethal.” Of course, a lot depends on what "may" means.

Obesity has been a health problem long before it became a COVID-19 risk factor. The most significant advances in its medical, rather than behavioral treatment, has been bariatric surgery, until now. Could Big Pharma triumph over Big Knife?

As the news cycle brings us more COVID-19 variants and reports of the efficacy of the new vaccines by J&J, Novavax, and AstraZeneca, you have to wonder which vaccine is best and why.

Last spring, New York City was the first major COVID-19 hot spot in the U.S., with cases and subsequent deaths surging out of control. Residents sought refuge from the burgeoning plague by fleeing the City, and suburban real estate markets became inflated. However, by midsummer and fall rates of new COVID cases in New York dropped and became among the lowest in the nation. What happened?

As the EU reverses its plans to restrict the exportation of vaccines from Ireland to the UK and in the wake of stinging criticism that wealthy countries should not be monopolizing the vaccine supply, the Biden administration says it will participate in WHO’s global COVID-19 vaccine-sharing project, reversing Donald Trump’s America First approach.

At some point, we're gonna run out of people to deny opioids. What to do?? There are many anti-opioid zealot mouths to feed. New victims are needed. How about cats?

A consumer will often attempt to compare the taste of locally-grown organic produce with its national chain-store counterpart. This is not a fair comparison. Regarding taste, the key is not whether it's conventionally grown or organic, but when it is harvested.

The Lancet once published a controversial study claiming that any alcohol consumption is bad for your health. Now, the same family of journals is coming after you poker players.

How to become a member of the Jonas Salk Society.

Vaccines have advantages over natural infections. For one, they can be designed to focus the immune system against specific antigens that elicit better responses.

Sixth nerve palsy simply means paralysis of the sixth cranial nerve. What causes it, and can it be fixed? My dad is about to find out.