Given their substantial platform, Hollywood celebrities possess a unique ability to do tremendous good. Unfortunately, with that megaphone comes immense responsibility. Let’s take a look back at Tinseltown in 2017, and see what we've learned. The good, the bad and the indifferent.
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In April, American scientists will begin testing a new contraceptive gel — for men. A combination of two synthetic hormones, it's been found to be effective in shutting down sperm production in preliminary testing. So perhaps soon men will have another option besides condoms and vasectomies. Guys, welcome to the world of modern contraception!
ACSH's Director of Medicine Dr. Jamie Wells interviewed by legendary anchor Rolland Smith and broadcasting veteran Carl Sabatino about the state of medical practice today.
The technology that allows someone to communicate written sentences solely with their eyes is truly incredible. And that fascinating device provides at least some merciful measure of freedom for those trapped by the progressive, unceasing horrors of ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gerhig's Disease.
The CDC is told seven words are no longer allowed in their documents. Banning words and thoughts doesn't work, just ask George Carlin. Do they think it will somehow work now?
A 38-year-old former NFL running back believes he's currently experiencing symptoms of CTE, the degenerative brain disease that currently can only be diagnosed after death. Can his insight help researchers better understand this disease? Is it meaningful, or meaningless?
Drugs submitted for FDA approval must have safety and efficacy data for the condition they're designed to treat. Sometimes, however, a drug is found to be effective for another condition, and doctors are within their rights to prescribe it for such "off-label" uses. Such may soon be the case for metformin.
When it comes to medical developments, it was an exciting year in the pursuit of what was once impossible. Here are some top picks that genuinely are changing the medical and tech landscape.
The FDA really doesn't want you taking pain meds. How strong is the agency's position on this? Pretty strong – enough to recommend that physicians receive extra education in alternative pain management methods. While that's fine in theory, one of the methods happens to be acupuncture, which is not fine at all.
Wasting food, a precious resource, is bad. Does French regulation make for less waste? Or could there be an equally simple free-market solution?
Like us, so many people in New York love this educational treasure. What we don't love is the pseudoscience junk that we recently found for sale in its gift shop.
As if having Gwyneth Paltrow's "lifestyle" brand in the U.S. isn't bad enough, the company's vaginal egg-lined path now leads north, with products available to be shipped to Canada. Now Canadians, too, will be able to waste a ton of money on GOOP's nonsense.
The Boogyman was a creation used to control children's behavior. That said, it has no role in the debate over public health policy.
With the rise in popularity of open-access publishing, and over 28,000 scientific journals in existence, it's often hard to tell which journals are reputable and which are simply junk. A new study did a cross-section analysis and came up with 13 traits of predatory journals, so now you can tell the difference. Here's how.
Significant issues have plagued a paper that appeared in the journal Science since its publication a year ago. Consider the case now closed with the recent ruling that the two primary investigators involved committed scientific misconduct.
Gasoline additives ensure that a car's engine runs properly. Otherwise, the engine will knock – and you'll be knocking on your mechanic's door holding a whole bunch of your favorite dollars. But researchers have figured out how to make isobutanol, an excellent gas additive, from beer. Here's the heady chemistry – and it goes down smooth.
Obesity is known to be a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, as well as for the insulin resistance that's a hallmark of the disease. Mouse studies suggest that obesity results in the production of microRNAs by adipose tissue, which diminishes the ability of tissues to respond to insulin.
This method uses revolutionary “dipstick” technology. The protocol involves a tissue sample that's ground up and the dipstick, made of wax-coated filter paper, is inserted, almost immediately capturing the DNA and RNA.
A single injection of a potential drug makes green lizards turn black in one minute. It's because the drug turns on the production of melanin, a colored pigment that protects us from sunlight. Could this drug reduce our chances of getting melanoma? Maybe.
It would almost be hilarious if it weren't so scary. The CDC warned of the possibility that raw milk from the Udder dairy might be contaminated with Brucella bacteria. These bugs can cause miscarriage in pregnant women and illness in everyone. And all this for the unproven and unlikely benefits of raw milk!
The people at the FDA probably never thought that they would have to officially state that DIY gene editing should not be done. But, they were wrong. People have not only started making HIV gene therapies in their living rooms, but, when they start injecting themselves on FB live, the FDA had to step in.
Jacob Thompson, a 9-year-old suffering from cancer, whose request to help him celebrate his last Christmas went viral – and was met with a global outpouring of love – has died. His death was due to neuroblastoma. What exactly is it?
The main difference between a cat and a lie – Mark Twain once said – is that a cat only has nine lives. As for today, the false linkage between autism and vaccinations continues.
Like most scientific endeavors, depression is hard to study in humans or non-human primates. So like many researchers, neuroscientists study depression in mice. But how can you tell whether a mouse is depressed? Here's how, and it's kind of fascinating.
1. In Las Vegas Review-Journal, Dr. Josh Bloom wrote about a worthwhile effort to combat deaths due to illegal opioids which has transformed into government interfering in the doctor-patient relationship. Though bad doctors have been arrested, and "pill mills" shut down, the overwhelming majority of harm has come from illegal purchases, not cancer patients in real pain.
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