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Every single day, you take several IQ tests. You just aren't aware of them.
Did you look both ways before crossing the street? Did you get a flu shot? Did you buy that $4 organic banana? These are all IQ tests, and the result is either pass/fail. Occasionally, flunking one of these daily IQ tests has very real consequences.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions opened his mouth last week and made a fool out of himself. His suggestion that people in pain should "have an aspirin and tough it out" was insensitive, ignorant, and insulting. People who live with pain were furious. They have every right to be.

Just a quick note. I have written previously about the Independent Payment Advisory Board. The budget legislation signed today, permanently repeals its existence. To return to my original metaphor, the final stake has been driven into its heart. 

The FDA has proposed new rules for homeopathic product labeling. Do these constitute a historic strategy to tame the homeopathic marketplace? Or will they merely perpetuate the status quo.

Romanian researcher Istvan Mathe has answered that burning question — "Is it safe to eat snow?" — with a nuanced answer. Yes, it's safe, but only for half a day. That is if you're talking about freshly fallen snow in Transylvania--it may not apply to Central Park.

Uber's payment system is gender-blind, what accounts for a 7% difference in pay to men over women? It is not social injustice. 

A three-front assault.

In a proof-of-concept study, bioengineers have created a designer cell able to release an effective – and apparently non-addictive – analgesic. And it triggers its release by smelling a volatile component of spearmint.  

Did our lost presidents surpass the life expectancy of their respective generations because of their access to superior medical care? The answer might surprise you.

Researchers from Harvard, UC and Duke universities have collaborated on a 'study' of the effect of an Ayurveda-based program on people's sense of "nondual awareness and spiritual awakening." Their work supports what seems to be a profitable program at the Chopra Foundation.

Why is asparagine, a rather boring molecule that biology majors are forced to memorize, grabbing international headlines? It can be found foods containing protein – which are many – including asparagus, the vegetable after which it was named. But some in the media say it causes cancer, which means asparagus causes cancer. (We're not kidding.)

It's been an ongoing quest for researchers in the field of ornithology to try to zero in on specifically where a bird's navigation system resides in their heads. But now a team of European scientists believe that a particular protein in the retina governs this fascinating compass.

Late last year, when Germany unexpectedly voted in favor, European Union member states agreed to a five-year renewal period for glyphosate – instead of the originally proposed 15 years. This illustrates the “Era of Post-Truth” on scientific questions in the EU in general, and in France in particular.

The highly unconventional, unregulated trials of Theravax herpes vaccine were very big news. That's especially true after its inventor, the late Dr. Bill Halford, MD, used the vaccine in people without pre-approval of an institutional review board. Critics abounded, but few wanted to know if the vaccine actually worked. One participant spoke with us about his experience. 

Out of more than 140,000 contestants vying to become the 2018 Gerber Spokesbaby, Lucas Warren from Georgia will be the first with Down Syndrome in the competition’s roughly 90 year history. What took so long!

Recently the incidence of syphilis has been increasing in newborn babies and pregnant women, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force has reaffirmed guidelines emphasizing the importance of  pregnant women being screened for the disease. It's relatively easy to cure  syphilis with antibiotic treatment, and caught early it would prevent devastating effects on both babies and moms.

For some time now, researchers have known that being bilingual is beneficial both culturally and cognitively. A recent study sheds more light on how knowing a second, or perhaps even a third, language can help your brain, especially when it comes to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

Heartburn does not involve the heart or a burn, although the discomfort may be described as burning. What underlies this common complaint?

One of the many problems with academia is that it allows nutcases to flourish.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb condemned the use of kratom, which is a plant-based mixture of chemical compounds, some of which are opioids. The evidence is strong that kratom does contain multiple opioid drugs – and therefore carries with it some risk. But those who use it to treat pain are adamant about needing it. Who's right? Maybe both sides. 

In the early days of microbiology experiments, when researchers needed test subjects they frequently went to those closest nearby which included their family or themselves.
Now, we have animals to use for experimentation or humans, if the right permission is granted and protocols obtained. 

There's no greater wealth of knowledge or insight than experienced practitioners manning the front lines. Yet the powers that be rarely – if ever – ask them about what's the right data to pursue. Here's a partial answer to a physician's job dissatisfaction.

The Winter Olympic Games are set to begin this week, but, the organizers have been thrown a last minute headache - well more of a stomachache, actually. Dozens of members of the security detail in the Olympic facilities have come down with norovirus or "the stomach flu." This is making for a nail-biter of a finish - waiting to see if any of the athletes are affected - and the competition hasn't even started yet!

Exposure at an early age might increase the likelihood of developing an allergy to the family kitty, according to some researchers. But according to others, it could be protective against such an allergy. So which is it? A recent study indicates it depends on the age at which the allergy is assessed.

Bacteria use chemical weapons. Using E. coli as a model, researchers sought to understand how simple regulators might produce multiple combat strategies. The investigation also tried to determine whether strategy would provide a survival advantage.