If you think Prevagen is gonna help your memory, forget it. The stuff is useless. But that doesn't stop sleazy Quincy Bioscience from incessantly advertising it (often between other disgusting ads for legitimate prescription drugs). So if you're thinking about incinerating 75 bucks for a bottle of this junk, here’s some sound advice to remember: don't.
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It is astounding (although not surprising) how badly the media botched its reporting on "deadly vinyl chloride," as if residents of Ohio didn't have enough to worry about. My opinion piece in Reason Magazine addresses just this. Scare, not science.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the cost of eggs increased by about 60% in 2022, more than any other grocery store item on the shelf. Every day breakfast has become a source of anxiety as families look for affordable, healthy alternatives. And what to do about Easter Eggs for the children? The high price of eggs may be causing many families to rethink their eating habits.
Sy Syms was right "An educated consumer is our best customer."
Growing Old
Tainted Money
A recent study looked at excess deaths among physicians during the time of COVID. While there were more deaths than anticipated, physicians fared better than the general population despite being on the front lines. What might that mean?
Television has popularized surgical attire; how else to tell the surgeons from the internists? Does the color of scrubs – traditionally green in most institutions – affect relationships with patients? A new study suggests the answer is ...
On February 11, Health Canada proposed guidelines for PFAS in drinking water that are 50,000 – 300,000 times higher than our EPA’s Health Advisories. This article will look at this and another significant issue, the EPA’s classification of PFAS as hazardous substances.
An important study examining whether antidepressants were useful for pain was recently published in BMJ. The headlines stated varieties of the same theme: They "may not be effective" or "may have a small benefit." These conclusions are based on data from one table in the paper. Let's take a look at that data.
Gold is a noble element, one so chemically stable that it’s found untarnished in the ground. But under some conditions, it can be converted to gold salts, which were the standard of care for rheumatoid arthritis. However, gold salts – which are quite toxic –have been replaced with a number of superior immunosuppressive drugs over the past two decades. The Golden Age of gold salts is over.
Lessons from the immune system
The silent Award Season is upon us
How music touches us
For Thom, saving coffee from warming, global warming
As long as we don't run out of chemicals, we will never run out of chemical scares. Most are unfounded, especially the current one – that the use of methylene chloride to decaffeinate coffee will somehow harm you. The numbers say otherwise. There is nothing to worry about here.
Picture this: a digital watchdog, prowling through heaps of patient data, poised to raise the alarm at the slightest sign of trouble. Enter a guardian angel, in the guise of algorithms designed to forewarn medical staff of impending crises. But is it truly a beacon of salvation or a mirage in the desert of clinical uncertainty?
Discovering the truth about the impact of ultra-processed foods on our brains can be like navigating a maze of conflicting information. In a recent article published by The Wall Street Journal, the spotlight was once again cast on this controversial topic.
Naloxone and Naltrexone sound alike, look alike chemically, and are both used to counter the misuse of opioids. But pharmacologically, they're strikingly different. This is why the two drugs are used for different purposes. Confused? Let's clear things up.
Picture this: a farm where the phrase "the other white meat" takes on a whole new meaning. It’s where farmers swap their pitchforks for snake tongs and hooks, where the scales are tipped in favor of protein, and fewer greenhouse gases are released.
Reducing air pollution is a universally acknowledged goal, heralded for its potential to improve public health and environmental quality. However, amidst the enthusiasm for cleaner air, a critical question emerges: How effective have our efforts truly been?
We spend 85% of our time indoors, and air conditioning can provide relief when and where we need it. Nevertheless, regulatory agencies continue to press for tighter outdoor emission controls. Their mantra is that lives can be shortened by long-term (years) exposure, no matter how trivial. This is the linear, no-threshold hypothesis currently promulgated by EPA.
A company called ZBiotic wants you to believe that its product – a microorganism that makes the enzyme that metabolizes acetaldehyde – will help prevent a hangover. Should we believe this?
The Bible of science – the body of peer-reviewed literature – is increasingly filled with dubious and even fraudulent research. Most academics openly recognize the threat this poses to scientific progress, though viable solutions to academic fraud are sorely lacking. How do we address this critical problem?
Loud noises and ... trace minerals? Let's break down a new study examining an important contributor to age-related hearing loss. Spoiler alert: stocking up on zinc supplements is not the solution.
In a chilling Lancet study, the haunting reality of homicide rates among American women unfolds, with guns emerging as the weapon of choice, echoing structural inequities in which women are most impacted. In United States v. Rahimi, the Supreme Court grapples with the constitutional clash between gun control and domestic violence restraining orders, challenging us to confront some harsh realities.
In the mood to learn a little about history, the culinary arts, chemistry, biology, and evolution? Yessirree, it's all on the menu as we take a look at the beloved Chinese dish, General Tso's Chicken.
It's America's most addictive and fastest-growing sport. Pickleball is all kinds of fun, especially for the 60+ crowd who may have given up on sports. Of course, while players have suffered injuries involving the Achilles, hamstring, and quads, eye injuries are the most serious. Yet, most people don't wear protective goggles. Here's why you should. Bonus: A photo of me looking like an Olympic-class imbecile. Enjoy.
Ever wondered if your TV marathon could be linked to those annoying trips to the bathroom? A recent study dives into the association between TV watching and nocturia – the habit of waking up at night to urinate. Is it worth sacrificing an extra hour of TV for a good night's sleep?
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court will determine the extent of permissible federal interactions with private-party decision-making – namely, by social media platforms. The issue is portrayed as a clash between First Amendment rights and public health. This is not a new conundrum, but the involvement of social media is upping the ante. Further complicating the issue is the fact that the platforms acquiesced and voluntarily cooperated with governmental involvement, and while they are the object of the federal “incursions,” the social media platforms are not the aggrieved parties in the case.
Pagination
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