A new study just published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology warns that chemicals commonly found in cleaning products quartenary ammonium compounds can reduce fertility. But there are problems with this study. Here's what we found.
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The genome editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 is changing many fields in biology with its precision and simplicity. Here's what you need to know.
An unusual deer with fangs,would make Bambi from Disney sprint for his life, was spotted last year in a remote forest in Afghanistan. This mysterious and peculiar animal has survived decades of poaching and hunting.
"Tis the season to be wary, what with vampires and ghouls roaming around the neighborhood. But what may be more scary is coffee.
Roughly 200 million people contract the malarial parasite annually, and in 2013 malaria was the cause of 500,000 deaths worldwide. According to a recent study, a new genetic engineering technique is showing great promise in eliminating the mosquitos that carry the deadly disease.
The battle of medicine vs. bacteria has been going quite poorly for more than two decades, primarily due to antibiotic resistance. The last thing we need is giving these bugs another edge. But in China, a newly-discovered gene can spread to many types of bacteria, and render useless some antibiotics that are our last line of defense against unresponsive infections.
A new study in JAMA Oncology proves that a type of the human papillomavirus, known to cause cervical and anal cancer, also causes cancers of the throat and head and neck. The proof of this revelation came via a simple, yet elegant method.
An advancement in online optometry is giving patients in need of a doctor's eye exam another option. Easy, convenient and affordable, this newest approach simplifies the check-up and prescription process. But without overall eye care being addressed, any hoopla over this kind of internet access might be premature.
A recent meta-analysis concluded, counterintuitively, that e-cigarettes might actually increase smoking instead of reducing it. How could that be? Dr. Stan Young, a ACSH Scientific Advisory Panel member, details how a meta-analysis works, and how it is so often misused.
In a sense, you could describe most modern medications as judiciously applied poisons. And as guest writer Frank Schnell explains, that is just one facet to grasp if you're seeking the understand the confusing concept known as hormesis.
It's holiday time, and time for holiday drinks, too. But should we be concerned about the alcohol consumption that seems to proliferate at this time of year? Recent research is reassuring, as long as you consume moderate amounts and don't overdo it.
Sexual dysfunction occurs in about 40 percent of women, yet it frequently goes underreported. Depending on the etiology, various treatment options exist that can help women who may be too shy to ask.
Counterfeit drugs are readily available online. Indeed, a nonprofit group has found that 94 percent of drugs bought over the web were fake, substandard or toxic. So do yourself a favor: Don't buy drugs online, period.
Eating too red much meat is not only a public health concern, but according to some it's also contributing to the climate change crisis. Thats's the take-home message from a published report saying that the livestock sector contributes almost 15 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions towards the global total.
As the year winds down, we share with you some of our notable videos of the year; some made us laugh, some made us cringe, and some made us better advocates for sound science.
While consumers across the U.S. have embraced, and are enjoying, the benefits of genetically-modified products, papaya-loving Hawaiians had less of a choice when an agricultural crisis struck the state in the 1990s. But by using a cell-inserting device, plant specialists eradicated a deadly virus and saved a vital industry.
When it comes to buying clothes or a computer, we know exactly what we're going to pay. So why not for medicine? Competition is supposed to bring prices down, but health care is one of the few areas where the service actually increases costs and no one seems to bother to ask why. That's why we are.
Whether performing in the operating room or on stage, for over 30 years cardiologist and country artist Cleve Francis has touched the hearts of both patients and music lovers. Now, he's trying to raise awareness on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients, who are now eligible for heart transplants.
Some fatalities from the Northeast's blizzard have taken place inside cars, caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Although CO makes up only a small fraction of car exhaust -- about 1 percent vs. 70 percent nitrogen -- it's far more dangerous. In fact, carbon monoxide actually "steals" oxygen from your blood.
Psychedelic substances such as LSD, "mushrooms," mescaline and "ecstasy" have been criminalized to the point where scientific research involving these drugs has been halted. However, interest in psychedelics as therapeutic options for mental disorders have re-emerged. Here's why these drugs may be beneficial.
It's controversial, but recent advances in surgical techniques lead a researcher to believe a head transplant will allow a willing patient who is paralyzed to move -- and even walk -- following the procedure.
Hypothesis: A tiny dose of a chemical causes a greater biological response than a small or moderate dose. Sound ridiculous? Sure does. But that idea, known as hormesis, sounds just as wacky as when Einstein outlined quantum mechanics and Wegener proposed continental drift (and we know how those turned out).
In Brazil, a new viral infection called Zika is doing great harm. It's causing an epidemic of severe birth defects, so much so that doctors are advising women to delay becoming pregnant. There is no treatment for it, although in non-pregnant victims the symptoms are not terribly severe.
Nitrogen triiodide is exceedingly cool stuff. The purple solid is very easy to make, but you better keep it wet. Once dry, it's a powerful contact explosive which could theoretically be useful for practical jokes. I know, because I survived after someone played one on me.
While the Zika virus from Central America is captivating the U.S. and many audiences around the world, another disease is creeping behind the curtains and across our southern border: Chagas disease. An average human case is transmitted by an infected "kissing bug," but the smootch it delivers is rather nasty.
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