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In another example of “the sky is falling” news cycle, the predictions of massive radiation-induced illnesses, especially cancer, resulting from the devastating Fukushima nuclear plant damage in March of 2011 have been found to be grossly exaggerated, according to a new report issued last week by a U.N. panel. Naturally, no major media bothered to report [...]
The post Japanese “nuclear disaster” update: none sick, none dead appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

A proposed resolution by the New York State PTA, to be voted on at their November convention, supports mandatory labeling and a GMO ban from school food. The resolution, which is shocking coming from an organization that, is packed full of pseudoscientific thinking and anti-biotechnology propaganda.

Last December, Hawaii County passed a bill that banned biotech companies from the Big Island and prohibited all new genetically modified crops.

In Part 1, we looked at some very strange science coming from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Here, we examine some possible reasons for an apparent intentional omission of crucial data, which led to the misclassification of glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen." Looks like IARC knew this, but misclassified it anyway.

They won t give up, no matter the science or the votes. Anti-technology activists opposed to genetically-engineered food were defeated at the ballot box in California last year, but they re not giving up.

Postpartum depression of varying degrees is obviously real but it has everything to do with lack of sleep and an abundance of stress. It has nothing to do with whether or not a placenta was eaten. And the risks are not worth it, considering the case study of a child who got sepsis twice because of placenta pills showed.

People want to do what makes them feel good and – perhaps more importantly – makes them look righteous in the eyes of others. Going organic and avoiding straws accomplishes that moral grandstanding, and companies are happy to oblige in order to make a buck. And, in the process, the companies also look good. It's a win-win for everyone, except Mother Earth.

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls: there are obesity updates for all. For all the kids out there, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new report Wednesday offering early childhood obesity prevention advice for daycare centers and households alike.

Penn Jillette is not only a magician, comedian, skeptic, libertarian, and radio host -- he's also a big fan of ACSH Trustee Dr. Norman Borlaug, calling him "My biggest hero on the planet" in this recent interview of Borlaug on Penn's radio show:
http://podcast.penn.freefm.com/penn/25352.mp3

The announcement that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was chosen to possibly be the next head of HHS raises many questions about his suitability for the job, especially given some of his controversial beliefs. Here are a dozen questions I would ask Mr. Kennedy.

A February 3, 2006 piece by Rosalind Lacy MacLennan gives ACSH's book America's War on "Carcinogens" a positive review:

Despite the tragedy and dismay that struck with Japan s 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown, a World Health Organization report concluded that people living near Fukushima Japan s 2011 nuclear disaster site face only a slightly greater risk of cancer.

Author Steven Pinker's observation, that the world is less violent now than ever in human history, is probably true.

Seasonal Affective Disorder has had its validity questioned as a distinct mental disorder. Research published in journal Clinical Psychological Science provides persuasive data that casts major doubt on SAD being a legitimate psychiatric disorder.

This law firm shows no concern for the truth. It fits comfortably and profitably into our postmodern world, in which truth and lies are no longer distinguishable. Unscrupulous people can make a lot of money by exploiting the public's confusion over vaccines, chemicals and pharmaceutical products.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are found naturally in cartilage, and are popularly taken as dietary supplements to help OA. Indeed, the combination is among the most popular so-called dietary nutritional supplements consumed by Americans, with a market estimated at perhaps one-billion dollars annually.

Last week, we exposed the flaws of a study published by a group from the Harvard School of Public Health claiming that girls who drink more sugar sweetened soda have their first period a few months earlier than those who don t. ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom concluded that

In the early 1990s, Gary Hirshberg, chairman and former president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, was a leader of the nascent corporate responsibility movement .....But now, Hirshberg has deserted evidence-based science in his support of mandatory labeling of GMO foods

DeSmogBlog, a climate activist website that ruthlessly smears scientists, is headed by Brendan DeMelle, an anti-vaxxer who helped RFK, Jr. write an infamous and since-retracted article linking vaccines to autism.

We here at the council enjoy debunking health fads. We especially enjoy debunking — in both print and video — weight loss fads. In fact, just last week I debunked one of the hottest trends in weight loss: body wraps. I don't know why this is, but something about selling unrealistic goals to vulnerable consumers for financial gain that only benefits the person at the top of the pyramid scheme really irks me. 

A new video released by the magazine attempts to explain why there are more obese Americans today than 30-40 years ago. It claims that even if people eat healthy and exercise, it's easier to be obese today because of three factors -- but only one of those is likely to be correct.

How do you combat obesity in low-income neighborhoods? Increase access to grocery stores that sell fresh fruits and vegetables, many public health experts have long advised. It turns out, however, that this policy may actually have less credibility than previously believed.

Opposition to the use of biotechnology to enhance agriculture was always based on junk science. But now these anti-GMO activists look downright silly as cutting-edge biomedical science rescues us from COVID.

Have you heard the one about the bees collapsing? Bees and other pollinators are of crucial importance to agriculture. Over the past few years, the media has been replete with scary stories about bee colony collapse. Science 2.0 s Hank Campbell lends perspective.

Pheromones have long been credited (or blamed) for our behavioral choices, most notably our choice of sexual partners. The idea that we could base such a seemingly personal choice on a unconscious chemical signal is fascinating but, is there any scientific evidence to support it?