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COVID is still killing more than 1,000 Americans a week; long COVID causes prolonged misery; and a new, more transmissible subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading.

For the most part, our genetic heritage is a “crap shoot” mixture of mom and dad. But the DNA of the engines powering our bodies, mitochondria, are inherited only from mom, which makes for some biological differences, including the Mother’s Curse.

You might make it through the day without learning about the science of "Meat Sweats." But you'd be missing something special in your otherwise-dreary and pointless life. Don't risk it. Read this idiotic article.

In late 2019 Betelgeuse, a star within the Orion constellation, grew dim, leading to speculation that its life might be at an end and it would become a supernova. The dimming, now felt due to “dust” and stellar activity obscuring our view, has resolved. Not so the concerns over Betelgeuse.

EPA has a long history of pandering to activists, encouraging them to sue the Agency and then capitulating to their agenda. Their stock in trade is shoddy science and dishonesty, resulting in farmers deprived of safe, effective pesticides.

Melatonin is a neurohormone that the body uses to regulate sleep. It's sold as a dietary supplement without a prescription. As the CDC states, in "2020, melatonin became the most frequently ingested substance among children reported to national poison control centers.”

The opioid crisis is fueled by fentanyl, largely a direct product or precursor manufactured in China. It's a rocket-fuel inversion of the Opium Wars, when Britain smuggled illegal opium into China.

To reduce swab testing for COVID, the ultimate goal is to have dogs able to perform rapid, large-scale, non-invasive screening, with antigen testing necessary only for confirmation after positive dog screening results.

The use of dicamba, an herbicide, has become an extremely contentious issue in some farm states. It has been accused of “tearing apart the fabric of rural life.” The issues surrounding dicamba present a fascinating study on modern agriculture and problems that arise when technological advances impact farming choices and basic livelihood.

Recently, Newsday's David Olson wrote about opioids in an honest way not often seen in mainstream media. He emphasized the harm caused by the “overcorrection of the pendulum” – the shortage of medically legitimate opioids caused by ill-advised restrictions on prescribing. He gives personal accounts of practitioners, pharmacists, and patients struggling to navigate the unforgiving terrain of new laws and policies. Thumbs up to Mr. Olson for this important article.

The use of cigarettes has declined in the U.S. over the past decades. A hypothesis has emerged suggesting that those remaining smokers are “nicotine hardened,” that they are the "intractables" with significant nicotine dependence. A new JAMA Network Open study tests that theory.

For two decades, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which advises the Pope on scientific issues, has made wise observations about the importance of molecular techniques for genetic modification and the most appropriate approaches to regulating them. It's a cardinal sin that most of the world has ignored them.

The EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) was founded in 1985 to assure scientific integrity and present intra-Agency consensus on health effects information on environmental chemicals.  It is an excellent example of how a government agency can misuse a well-intentioned idea to meet a political agenda resulting in flawed public policy decisions with significant implications.

Politicians need to seem to be doing SOMETHING, even if it is ill-advised, profligate, and futile, endangers Americans' standard of living and the nation's security. It applies to much of today's policymaking, from mitigation of climate change to the regulation of chemicals and genetic engineering.

Both scientific and policy advancements could provide desperately needed organs for transplantation. For example, there have been some promising early studies using kidneys from pigs genetically engineered to prevent rejection, but a policy change – paying human donors for donating organs – could be implemented immediately and would be a game changer.

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It's no secret that pickleball is a national craze. But, how many chemists are willing to try it and not only write about their experience but also the chemistry of the ball?

Recent breakthroughs in stem-cell have raised the prospect of one day "breeding" humans and growing organs in a lab. How realistic are these scenarios? Netflix just released an embarrassing miniseries about the opioid epidemic. Let's take a closer look at the show's claims.

Another week, another disparity of care. In this case, it's attributable to a measure known to be flawed: pulse oximetry. Does the flaw lie solely in the tool – or how it is used? Let’s take a deeper dive into the latest study of healthcare disparity.

Reporters like to portray themselves as truth tellers who hold the powerful accountable. In reality, many of them are hired guns who publish propaganda under the guise of doing journalism. The good news is that a growing number of Americans are abandoning the legacy media for better sources of information.

The Golden State instituted a program to reduce carbon emissions to 40% below 1990 levels (the cap), by providing carbon credits to account for those excess carbon emissions (the trade). Economists worried that the job loss associated with industries with excess carbon emissions would not be offset by increasing jobs in “green” industries. A new study reports mixed results.

Shinrin-yoku, also known as a "forest bath," originated in Japan and it's believed to enhance one’s well-being while helping “connect” with nature. It involves immersing oneself in a forest or natural environment and mindfully engaging with the surroundings through the senses. Western medicine offers “nature prescriptions” – the walk with or without the mindfulness. Does it improve our health?

Five years after the driver of Uber’s autonomous car killed a pedestrian, the driver pleaded guilty to one count of reckless endangerment and was sentenced to no prison time, just three years of supervised probation. The law is designed to fill a deterrence function and mete-out punishment for wrongdoing. So, did the law serve its function here? Does the law appropriately address these new technologies?

Some indicators suggest that we're in for a potentially serious fall COVID surge. How fearful should we be? On a lighter note, are you risking your health every time you eat raw oysters? Maybe not, but at least one scientist thinks this particular seafood is "gross."

I just finished reading a study on the correlation between the use of beta blockers and the need for a total knee replacement in patients with osteoarthritis. I will share the results and their underlying hypothesis, but I want to discuss their map illustrating the “cause” of what they found.