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"If you dust off a turd, it's still a turd." Even by my (admittedly) low standards, this is rather crude. But, what does it mean? I take aim at Genexa, a company that advertises "real medicine, made clean." A clever marketing scheme, but I don't know what it even means.

The new Biden Administration has a full plate. Here are the science, technology, and health policies it should prioritize.

Fear sells, which is why news outlets provide so much of it. But constant bad news is bad for our health. Turn off the TV and social media.

Our first two vaccines have greater than 90% efficacy; Novavax reports 89.3%, Johnson and Johnson’s reports 66%. Should we care? What do those numbers mean to you and me when we worry about the protection the vaccine affords us?

Among the unpleasant effects of COVID is a whopping portion of aches and pains. Whether there is anything you can take to feel better -- for example, Advil -- is not clear. But two, large retrospective studies seem to give the thumbs-up to NSAIDs.

Why do books smell? Dr. Joe Schwarcz, a professor of chemistry at McGill University's Office for Science and Society explains in his own unique way in one of his own unique (and wonderful) videos from "The Right Chemistry" series. (And a way to poison readers that may or may not work.) Enjoy.

How will the COVID-19 pandemic end? Will it burn itself out, find an equilibrium more like the seasonal flu, or will it continue to rage despite all we try?

A new study out of Barcelona -- one that was not peer-reviewed -- suggests that vitamin D reduced COVID deaths by 60% and admission to the intensive care unit by 80%. However, the results are highly flawed.

Obesity remains a health problem for individuals, and collectively as a public health issue. The war against obesity, like that against drugs, has been waged for many years without significant change. A new study looks at why policy has so little effect.

In Greek mythology, the Chimera was a fearsome, fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. She terrorized the Lycians until felled by Pegasus, the winged horse. The Chimeric beast lives on in people's imaginations, her name becoming synonymous with grotesque monsters combining bodily parts from different beings. It also lives on in science.

Research shows that vaccine skepticism appeals to people who already distrust authority. Solutions proposed during the COVID-19 pandemic may be amplifying the problem rather than solving it.

Last week the BIden Administration once again proposed banning menthol in tobacco products. Predictably Big Tobacco is not pleased. What does the science, not the sound bites say?

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…” President Theodore Roosevelt
Although his inference was to the expected lack of success in life without these three qualities, the same can be said regarding weight loss programs - without an anticipated level of significant effort, pain, and difficulty will only lead to disastrous long-term results.

Gerardo Gutierrez, a 70-year old deli-worker employed by Publix grocery stores, died on April 28, 2020, from COVID-19. Sadly, Gerry, as his friends called him, died in a hospital – alone, with his family only able to bid goodbye via video call. Even more sadly, it's quite possible he didn’t need to die if, as his attorneys claim, Publix had acted prudently.

What is it about science that has allowed our knowledge to advance so rapidly? And why wasn’t science invented long before that pivotal figure, Issac Newton? These are some of the questions that Michael Strevens, a professor of the philosophy of science, attempts to answer in a book called The Knowledge Machine. 

Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, and wonder how safe and effective they are? Of course, you do. We all have them, so you've come to the right place. In his latest video presentation of A Dose of Science, Dr. Joe Schwarcz, the Director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, clearly and simply explains how the vaccines were tested, and why they are all both safe and effective. Overall "we are very happy with what we are seeing," he says, so "go get the vaccine" because the health "benefits greatly outweigh the risks."

If junk science were a competition, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) annual reported “Dirty Dozen” would routinely make the finals. As expected, in 2021, EWG has again demonized conventional agriculture practices with their Dirty Dozen list, and there are no shortages of naïve reporters in the media willing to accommodate their nonsense. 

The pandemic is not a monolithic event; it is a dance of the virus and our behavior. What we have learned about pandemics from the mistakes in our models. What about “long” COVID? Why does “if it bleeds, it leads” make sense?

It’s been a year since we've focused on the greying of hair. The pandemic may have caused you to lose more of it than normal, either by pulling it out in frustration or because of stress. Yes, stress can cause hair loss (at least in mice).

Whether you call it pandemic waves or surges, there’s little doubt that we’re in the midst of one. It’s not necessarily as virulent as the initial wave, but it's problematic nonetheless. Are we opening up too soon, over-relaxing our vigilance? A new study suggests the surges are linked to behavior – not ours, but the virus’.

The anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense is mis-using preliminary research to fuel doubt about the efficacy of COVID-19 shots. Let's break down one of its latest attempts to distort the facts.

Japan is planning to release tons of water from the Fukushima nuclear site into the Pacific Ocean – water contaminated with tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen. This has led to protests by China, South Korea, Russia, and other nations; an outcry from a variety of environmental groups … not to mention seafood lovers concerned about the safety of their sushi. Given these concerns, it seems reasonable to dig into the subject a tad to see how serious a concern this is.

Are you being overcharged for aspirin in the hospital? Is it cheaper to pay for drugs in cash rather than go through your insurance plan? How can you find out? Robert Popovian and Wayne Winegarden argue that healthcare cost transparency will bring down healthcare costs.

With our first baby on the way, my wife and I were tempted to buy into common activist tropes about pesticides and food safety. Here's how we checked our fears as parents-to-be.

Last week, it was colonoscopy time again. Oh, joy! But it gave me an excuse to look up alternate bowel preps – and it's a damn good thing I did. Which prep is the one to have? Which is best to avoid? It's not so easy to tell. As a bonus, here are some hilarious quotes.