According to our “friends” at the EWG, “American consumers spent a total of $20.4 billion on organic fruits and vegetables, fresh and frozen combined, in 2020, making organic produce now 15 percent of all fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S.” [1] So perhaps we might begin to call it Big Organic, it certainly is showing the same type of market forces as conventional Big Ag. Don’t let the marketing fool you; organic is no longer just those family farms and farmers, as a new study in Nature reports.
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Scientists’ use of flawed statistics and editors’ complaisant practices both contribute to the mass production and publication of irreproducible research in a wide range of scientific disciplines. This crisis poses serious questions for policymakers. How many grant dollars and federal regulations reflect irreproducible, flawed, and unsound research?
It has always been known that biological females and males have different body compositions. For example, men typically are larger, have more muscle, and weigh more than women in humans, a trend seen across almost all mammals. That difference can potentially influence body hydration, organ blood flow, and organ function, which can affect many drugs' metabolism.
Hermann J Muller revolutionized radiation genetics, received the Nobel Prize for producing gene mutations, and helped to create the linear non-threshold (LNT), the EPA’s default model for cancer risk assessment. Could mistakes he made haunt today’s most dominant global regulatory strategy?
How good is the evidence implicating climate change as a cause of heart attacks? Not very. Let's take a critical look at some of this research.
Take a deep breath
Food strikes back and tries to kill you
Dr. John Ioannidis, pre-pandemic, on public health communication
The last several months have been … interesting … at Europe’s largest nuclear energy station. Last March, Russian troops took control of the 6-reactor site, causing some damage during the battle and raising fears of a wider catastrophe. Several months passed, during which the Ukrainian operators continued running the reactors under the direction of Russian, providing power to their part of Ukraine; this interregnum came to a halt this summer when the Russians established a full-blown military base on the power site and began launching attacks from there, and disconnecting most of the power lines leading into the plant from the electrical grid.
A recent study has reporters worried that "ultra-processed" foods accelerate cognitive decline. Don't panic just yet.
Daily infections and deaths have been the main coronavirus public health concerns. Little attention has been given to the grab bag of lingering symptoms collectively known as “long-haul” or “post-COVID-19 syndrome,” affecting about 15% of the U.S. population. Here we use public data from two ongoing research projects to summarize the current state of knowledge.
Did COVID lockdowns save lives? At what cost and to whom? The answer to both is that it depends. Let’s consider some of the issues that make up “it depends.”
Most of our previous COVID-19 analyses focused on national and regional trends. A recent article indicated that the pandemic might be entering a new period of less lethal infections [1]. This trend might relate to a new variant, exposure differences, or additional vaccination acceptance. Here we draw on weekly state-level data to explore such relationships, including two other COVID-19 metrics: percentages of positive tests and rates of hospitalization.
“Consumers increasingly want to make decisions on the environmental sustainability of foods.” Are you one of these consumers? Can your food choices sustain your health and that of the planet? A new study considers the “environmental impact” of food products. As it turns out, not all foods that sustain your health will sustain the planet – we will not eat our way out of climate change.
McKinsey & Company, those highly paid consultants to entrepreneurs, corporations, and governments, make some general suggestions about “greening” our grocery stores. Let’s take a look at what they are suggesting.
1988 Seoul, South Korea. Olympic diver Greg Louganis attempts a reverse two-and-a-half pike and hears a “big hollow thud…” his head hitting the springboard. [1] A few stitches and he returns to ultimately claim the Gold Medal. Not all of us are that lucky. Can physics help us understand the risks?
TV medical dramas tell compelling, heartfelt stories about doctors and their patients. They're also chock-full of inaccuracies that distort our understanding of science and medicine.
The US congress is considering enacting a market incentive to incentivize the research and development of new and needed antibiotics. They are balking at spending a few billion dollars over several years in spite of rising antibiotic resistance and a paltry pipeline of new antibiotics. Without this money, we will watch any hope of fighting the onslaught of resistance whither and die. But our senators and congresspersons are getting cold feet. You have got to be kidding!
President Biden recently took a small step in the right direction by acknowledging that people shouldn’t be caged for smoking cannabis and questioning the DEA classifying it as a Schedule 1 drug. Hopefully, it will spark Congress to take more definitive action.
“…the pandemic is over.” – President Biden.
Really? It clearly depends on how, where, and when you look. Overall, we see trends of increasing daily cases, stable death rates, and decreasing case fatality rates. There are significant peaks in these outcomes, up to 100-fold in cases and 10-fold in deaths.
The real art of the deal
Being conscious is different from being awake
Should we stop teaching algebra?
Reality is an illusion.
It is that season when the federal government and the health insurers begin to play trick or treat with Medicare plans for those over 65. As a public service, here is the difference between Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Cancer from radioactive gold? Like there isn't enough to worry about. But during the 1930s and 40s, it happened. A small number of rings were illegally manufactured from radioactive gold and there were consequences to ring fingers decades later.
I recently appeared on "Dr. Phil" to discuss the fat-acceptance movement—a dangerous, misnamed "social justice" cause that needs to die an abrupt death. Let's break down the debate that ensued.
A new study looks at that age-old question. Is our lifespan based more on our genes or our habits? Nature Medicine offers some perspective. Spoiler alert – it is not because you are “big-boned.”
Falls while hospitalized are costly to your health and wallet. Can a wearable, a pair of Smart Socks, reduce your risk?
Artificial intelligence may help physicians identify patients at risk for Parkinson's Disease (PD) before symptoms develop, improving health care and possibly zeroing in on potential causes of PD. Restricting access to technology can generate disastrous consequences. Why, then, are 'green' politicians so eager to ban these useful tools?
Pagination
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