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Noise is the second most common complaint among restaurant-goers. From the clinking of cutlery to the relentless chatter, restaurants have become veritable sound factories, making it challenging for patrons to hold a conversation, turning dining out into a shouting match. Striking the right balance in the soundscape is critical for a restaurant's success.

The guidelines on what we should eat - science speaks but politics reign,
Procedural tricks, the lobbyist's way.
New York's subways crime, AI scan not so intelligent
A Roman pandemic teaches in hindsight.

Lars Larson and I discussed the recent ban on an important and widely used class of insecticides in New York and the potential for Vermont to follow suit, despite historical evidence from places like Sri Lanka showing that such bans can harm farmers and devastate food production.
(Since this segment aired, Phil Scott, the Republican Governor of Vermont, vetoed the bill that would have banned neonicotinoid pesticides in the state.)

Remember when doctors looked you in the eye, to build a connection beyond mere transactions? With the rise of ever-present screens, physicians are more engaged with pixels than patients. For those struggling with the digital shift, medical scribes have stepped in. But has this tech-driven change improved healthcare?

Roughly 40 years ago, the Supreme Court created what is known as the "Chevron doctrine,” requiring judicial deference to reasonable agency decision-making, where a statute is ambiguous or is invoked in ambiguous situations. But things may be about to change, and the FDA, for one, isn’t happy.

Are mental health meds making individuals gain weight faster than you can say "side effects?" The keto diet might just be the secret weapon to keep those pesky pounds at bay, while managing bipolar or schizophrenia symptoms.

It's impossible not to notice the exponential rise in people, posting on social media, plunging into ice-filled bathtubs or extremely cold waters. It's not because they are masochistic, but rather because of the supposed “benefits” that the practice supposedly offers.

Wastewater surveillance for highly pathogenic H5N1 flu virus is a vital tool in pandemic preparedness. To gauge the ongoing threat to humans from the virus, we need to up our game: Wastewater surveillance should be both expanded and more narrowly focused.

The data linking soda taxes to beneficial health outcomes is far murkier than media reports suggest.

Announcement: “Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services recommends Michigan residents and visitors avoid foam on Michigan waterbodies such as lakes, rivers, and streams.” As a former Michigander, I wondered about the scientific basis for avoiding lake foam in all the lakes across Michigan.    

Here's something you won't find on Amazon. Nor is it at the duty-free shops in airports: packaged frozen feces for consumption. Believe it or not, a company called Human Microbes has been buying, packaging, freezing, and reselling the stuff online for people with various gastrointestinal problems. This has the FDA up the company's a$$, which could be #### out of luck before long. Warning: Possibly tasteless!

The following is neither satire nor fiction. California's insane Proposition 65 list contains a number of so-called carcinogens found in coffee. Yet, multiple epidemiological studies conclude that moderate coffee consumption decreases the chances of developing numerous cancers. Only in California could coffee both promote and reduce cancer.

When Average won't suffice, science, a strong-link problem
The body electric
Is the British Museum a crime scene?
Scientific American has been “woke” for over a century

John Batchelor and I discussed the ongoing developments and challenges in addressing COVID-19. We emphasized the importance of staying up-to-date with vaccines, especially for older adults with pre-existing conditions, as I’ve always advised. We talked about the concept of a universal vaccine, which, though difficult to achieve, is actively being researched.

It all began with a grand experiment involving physicians, published in the hallowed pages of the New England Journal of Medicine: a nearly miraculous halving of heart attacks among those taking a low-dose aspirin. New studies have emerged, exploring the changing tides of benefits and harms.

In an invisible dance, micro- and nanoplastics move about ubiquitously, yet unnoticed. These minuscule particles bob and weave into every corner of our existence. Yet, their impact on our respiratory health is unclear. How do these particles navigate the pathways of our respiratory tree, and what does this mean for our well-being?

Genetically engineered bacteria can not only degrade plastic waste, but they can convert it into valuable industrial chemicals. There are still unknowns -- for example, how to do this at scale and how it will be regulated.

Imagine a world where the nuances of religious beliefs intertwine with medical science, shaping the very fabric of healthcare. Welcome to Halalopathy, a concept emerging from a vibrant Islamic culture and pharmaceutical practice.

Vaccine patches should come with the slogan, “No more tears.” Too bad Johnson & Johnson trademarked it for its baby shampoo.

During my recent conversation with John Batchelor, we discussed the ongoing threat of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu, which has been a persistent concern, particularly in Asia, since the early 2000s. Newer variants of the virus have recently posed significant challenges to poultry farmers, especially in Northern California, where millions of birds have been culled to control outbreaks. Of particular concern has been the spread of avian flu to many mammalian species, most recently to dozens of herds of dairy cows in at least 10 states.

We’ve witnessed the opioid addiction crisis suffering through its mismanagement. Now, we face another scourge of addiction – again resulting in untimely deaths of young people while bankrupting and overtaking their emotional lives. This debacle is caused by social media, with recompense and responsibility avoided, and guardrails are yet to be widely implemented.

Metaphors illuminate the complex, yet their light dims with time.
Managers desire control; makers desire time
Historical myths spread far and wide
Peanut butter, a liquid, who would have thought?

The "iron law of prohibition" is alive and well. An animal anesthetic related to – but worse than – xylazine (Tranq) is called medetomidine. It's starting to be detected in samples of illicit fentanyl. Just what we don't need: another adulterant in an already-deadly street drug. And it's all predictable.

The silver tsunami, or America's aging population, continues to flood the roads. For seniors who might be truckin’ with a bit of physical or cognitive impairment, there may be a rising tide of concern about road safety. Only a handful of states bother to make dementia diagnoses reportable. A new study suggests this may lead to fewer, not more, reports.

It's Memorial Day Weekend – the unofficial start of the beach season. Although no one is likely to be swimming in the icy water of Ussuri Bay in Siberia, many will visit it because of "garbage" on the beach. But it's not typical garbage. Ussuri Bay is "littered" with a treasure – a vast amount of sea glass with an astounding variety of colors. Here's a look at this beautiful place and also a little chemistry about how sea glass forms.