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“I was sick with the flu” is a refrain heard each winter. But many who say it are actually mistaken. The flu is caused by an influenza virus, which is confirmed by specific testing. So if you weren't specifically tested for it and deemed positive, then it's possible you didn't have it.

If the fear mongers about GMO foods don't get their way, new strains of potatoes genetically engineered to contain beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol (vitamins A and E) could potentially reduce vitamin deficiencies in areas of the developing world, where potatoes are staple foods.

New research shows that compromising circumstances in the bedroom – like having sex – and being a female in public play a significant role in the decision to whom we administer CPR.

A website that's purportedly focused on rigorous science journalism has published a conspiratorial anti-glyphosate rant, written by an environmental activist with no relevant academic credentials.

A baby was born from a living donor's transplanted uterus. Following in the footsteps of Swedish success in this area, this achievement provides significant hope for those with uterine factor infertility, or UFI.

Coin collecting is a nice, peaceful, and generally-safe activity. But not when you swallow them. Throw in a few razor blades and an iron shackle and it gets a bit riskier. But is it as risky as a Chipotle meal? 
 

It's time to turn the forces of political correctness against themselves. If society is going to be in the dubious business of banning words, then we ought to do that because they're factually incorrect – rather than politically incorrect. And there's no better place to start than with the abbreviation "GMO."

It's the season for Top 10 lists. The challenge, as usual, is to narrow down all the junk science we debunked this year to just the 10 best (or is that worst?) stories. It would be far easier to create a Top 100 list.

This year, I don't want you to go to the doctor.
That seems obvious. Most people go to the doctor when they are ill, and I don't want you to be ill or have an accident. But I don't want you go to the doctor even if you are well. 

For a civilized nation, we can be mighty uncivilized. If you're a pain patient and cannot get the meds you need, you know this only too well. As Christmas wishes go, how about a return to sanity and compassion where people don't have to beg for relief? We have precious little or either right now. 
 

Injuries aren't always what they seem, and not all scars and bruises are the same. They can tell a very different story. For instance, are you certain that item you re-tweeted of suspected abuse was actually that?

Waze, a driving navigation app, has moved from traffic advisor to traffic director as it's user base grows. But does this new algorithmic overlord have special responsibilities?
 
 

FDA-approved gene therapies is atop of the list of exciting health and science advances of 2017. Following in the wake of two cancer therapies approved earlier this year, a third therapy – this time for vision – received a thumbs-up just before the arrival of 2018. 
 

Academic science is beginning to switch back to being more politically mainstream and with that change comes more mature beliefs about the private sector. And scholars are looking to corporations to fill funding gaps.

In a very early science confrontation, Galileo recanted his view about the Earth’s movement. Fast forward to today. “Climate deniers are right-wing nuts” and “tree huggers fear genetically modified foods.” If you nodded your head to either of these statements, then you're using stereotypes to define science skepticism.

The nutrients that typically come to mind in connection with osteoporosis are calcium and vitamin D. But if a mouse study is translatable to humans, we may have to add dietary fiber to that list. Fiber is broken down by some gut bacteria to form short chain fatty acids that prevent bone breakdown.

Jumping into near-freezing water in a summer bathing suit can seem to many simply as a harmless, quasi-crazy act of frivolity and personal expression. But it's not without risk. That's because it also produces "cold-shock," which under some circumstances can actually be fatal. So just know the risks before taking the plunge.

This flu season is bad. Look no further than the Golden State, where emergency departments are overflowing with flu patients and the number of cases and deaths are already much higher than the 2016-17 flu season. And worse, it's very likely that many other states will be hit with the same crisis. 

Lawyers are routinely required to solve problems that they themselves created. If something like this were to occur in any other area of life, it would be called racketeering. So beware, science: a lawsuit-happy nation turns its eyes to you.

Dangerous fentanyl is now part of the emotionally-charged, lethal injection controversy. This has erupted because Nevada wants to combine it with Valium to execute a twice-convicted murderer. Opinions abound. See who's right and who is wrong.

A new meta-analysis published in the journal Sleep Medicine found that middle-aged adults who suffered from insomnia, nightmares and regular bouts of broken sleep were more likely to face cognitive impairment in their later years.

As if there aren't enough ridiculous things to study – and worry about. A group in Great Britain thinks that sandwiches are causing the Earth to warm. Now there's a baloney sandwich – if there ever was one.

Rarely does Lyme Disease manifest itself as a neuro-invasive condition known, in shorthand, as Bannwarth Syndrome. It's a complicated version of Lyme, and when a cluster of five cases surfaced late last summer, all in the upper midwest, a few red flags were raised.
 

While Gary Hirshberg is a marketing genius, in a #MeToo world even those on his side of the political spectrum have been calling Stonyfield out for sexism. The vitriol stems from its newest anti-science commercial, one that features little girls – and the message that girls can't understand science.

Bones are not inert objects, but instead living tissue that responds to a host of mechanical forces. So what if the reason some elderly fall and "break" their hip is that – similar to a bridge collapsing from mechanical fatigue – their bones just gave way?