There are many good reasons to avoid illegal drugs, like addiction and overdosing. The next best is that local street chemists aren't terribly trustworthy. It's common for drugs to be mixed with other chemicals, some of which are far more dangerous than the drug itself. Case in point: Fentanyl, which is often mixed into heroin.
Search
Scientific research is not cheap. But what is the process that academic scientists go through in order to receive funding for their work? This article – the first of a two-part series – describes this stressful and highly competitive procedure.
The FDA is warning us that some natural remedies contain poison. Meanwhile, partisan rhetoric poisons the body politic. Discover the antidote to this partisan venom.
If you have high cholesterol, you may be taking some medications called statins, which are the most effective medicines for lowering "bad" cholesterol. But some people are turning to over-the-counter alternatives like red yeast rice, a nutritional supplement with cholesterol-lowering action. However, they come with safety concerns.
A team of University of Pennsylvania researchers recently found that those "who are more mindful are more receptive to health messaging," in order to physically improve themselves, "and more likely to be motivated to change."
Food Safety News has reported that Whole Foods has shut down all three of its regional kitchens because the FDA "discovered a long list of 'serious violations,'" some of which resulted in surfaces being contaminated with Listeria.
Guys, you know the rules: Always pick the urinal the furthest from the other guy. Little did we know that this issue was of such import, that a couple of lunatics with expertise in math and computer science would quantify urinal selection behavior. Sorry, you'll have to read it. It's not live streaming.
Even birds know when they're paired up with a mate that's "out of their league." New research from the journal Biology Letters demonstrates that unattractive, male, red-backed fairy-wrens spend more time guarding their female mates – while their sexy competitors spend more time seeking "extramarital" affairs.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton collapsed Monday night in front of legislators while giving the State of the State address. Though he rebounded well, he just disclosed a recent prostate cancer diagnosis. Learn about the proper medical care that's needed when someone faints, and why it happens in the first place.
The World Marathon Challenge of 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days is about to get underway. Are such extreme endurance sports healthy? Worth the risks?
A new study by a team of University of Washington researchers focusing on the mating habits of fruit flies reached a somewhat surprising discovery, concluding that "mate choice in fruit flies is rational and adaptive."
Ellie is the "first ever digital UV sterilizing pod." Do you still need to wash and sterilize baby bottles? Yes, of course – drinking milk from unwashed containers would make anyone sick. But does everything that newborns place in their mouths need to undergo UV irradiation? Absolutely not.
Anyone who searches long enough can find that pretty much everything has been linked to cancer. Bacon. Cell phones. Wi-Fi. Even looking at our video correspondent, Ana Dolaskie. At some point the insanity has to stop. Unfortunately, we have yet to reach that point.
As if there aren't enough nuts out there ranting about crystals or Ouija boards, it's time to welcome The Alternative Daily. The guys writing for this website make Joe Mercola sound smart, which is roughly equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest with a Steinway grand piano on your back.
The Pew Research Center asked scientists and non-scientists their opinions on various scientific topics: GMOs, global warming, pesticide usage, etc. The results are not surprising - there is a big gap between what those two groups think. The question is - why and what can be done to shrink the gap?
Rational Vaccines claims the next set of clinical trials for its Theravax vaccine candidate might be held in Mexico.
Of the many lies spread about Monsanto, perhaps none is so malevolent as the claim that the seed giant is to blame for farmer suicides in India. This falsehood, spread by anti-biotechnology activists like Vandana Shiva but debunked years ago, is still parroted by credulous left-wing outlets.
My work day last spring had been frustrating; the writing had gone slowly (and not too well). In my desire to write an acceptable paper had I forgotten how my neighbors eat today; I was using too many academic studies with their stark numbers and not enough of today’s eating realities. A reality check of the real world was in order.
Besides deceiving readers about science policy, there are plenty of other reasons to avoid Slate. Perhaps best is that the online site loves posting contrarian articles using a time-tested formula to attract readers: Take an obviously-stupid statement and add a headline vigorously defending it. Whether the article is accurate, compelling or well-conceived is an afterthought.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been grooming selected journalists to give favorable treatment to government findings, and even FDA ad campaigns, by inviting them to elite briefings that other journalists could not attend – or did not know even existed – as long as these special friends in journalism played by a strict set of FDA-friendly rules, as detailed in an exposé by Charles Seife in Scientific American, which confirmed what outsiders had long suspected.
The U.S. Office of Inspector General estimates that in 2013, more than 80 percent of the $438 million paid to chiropractors under Medicare Part B did not comply with Medicare's own requirements.
Results of a nationwide survey just released by the American Heart Association reveal that 47 percent of "respondents with a known history of, or at least one risk factor for heart disease or stroke, had not had their cholesterol checked within the past year." Nearly 95 million adults have total cholesterol numbers above 200.
How does a physician medically disqualify someone from serving on a jury? One potential consideration might include those who have a profound disability or illness. However, the guidelines vary from state to state.
We want to hear what kids around the nation (and globe!) want to know about science and health. Kicking off our new segment, #KuriousKiddos, are Isaiah and Gabriel who ask us this: Our mom dilutes our juice with water because she says too much sugar is bad for us. Is it healthier to drink diluted juice or the real deal?
Watch the video to hear our answer!
If you'd like to submit a question to #KuriousKiddos, please e-mail us at: simovskaa@acsh.org
One in 10 have a major depressive disorder during their lives, which makes depression the most common mental illness. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. Depression has both a genetic component and it's connected to environmental factors. But the genetic component has been difficult to determine.
Pagination
ACSH relies on donors like you. If you enjoy our work, please contribute.
Make your tax-deductible gift today!