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Starting in middle age, the brains of obese people show startling differences as compared to those of normal weight, according to an analysis of fMRI images. White matter tissue connects regions of the brain and allows for information to be communicated between those regions.

Medical practitioners and patients live in “a sea of uncertainty, where the stressful unknown drives us “to seek more information through testing” to increase our certainty. But more data is not necessarily helpful, according to an online report in JAMA Oncology examining the impact of evidence-based recommendations on physician behavior.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released their hospital rankings, and New York isn't happy about being last among 50 states.

A blood test for dementia would be great but there are limitations as to what they can tell us about our brains.

What's the secret to a happy marriage? Hint: it ain't love. Apparently, it's alcohol (P.S. There are so many jokes here...)
A recent study claims couples who drink alcohol together have a happier marital quality over time. Sound too good to be true? It probably is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9bBF9RktAA
 
 

Social media, with all of its anonymous participants, can be a little daunting, especially when strangers are just firing questions at you.

Hot enough for you? No problem, just go back inside into your air conditioned house. But animals don't have the same luxuries. Here's how some creatures beat the heat in the hot summer sun.

Severe droughts can wreak havoc on coastal marshes, which typically provide habitats for many species, like mammals, amphibians and birds. But researchers from the University of Florida suggest one factor that can help these areas recover more quickly is the presence of mussels clumped on the roots of marsh grasses.

1. There's no question some parts of American culture, including academic and private sector science, have been hijacked by 'virtue signaling' - subject to condemnation or praise by groups to show how virtuous and superior they are to those they self-identify with.

With only my own stupidity to blame, I got into a Twitter "discussion" with an anti-DDT zealot. Big mistake. All I got was a stomach ache. Not sure what he got from it.

Finnish smokers who are faced with a greater distance to walk to obtain cigarettes are more likely to quit the habit than those whose access hasn't changed over time. If that is true in other populations, it might be another way to influence smokers' decision to quit.

In a post on her website, Khloe Kardashian expresses her love for Vitamin E. And while the benefits of this antioxidant have been well established, she wrongly recommends its use for strengthening of the vaginal lining.

Traditionally, science has been a refuge from this hyperbolic nonsense. But no longer. More and more scientific journals are wading into partisan politics. Current Biology, in its most recent issue, has published a feature article that is every bit as ghastly as it is incoherent.

The 22-Pushup Challenge is a recent campaign started by the organization 22Kill. It aims to raise awareness of the mental health issues facing veterans, that lead to an average of 22 suicides per day.

Our founder, Elizabeth Whelan, liked to remind us that "mice are not little men," and that we ought to stop banning chemicals "at the drop of a rat." Apparently, the head of the NIAID, Dr. Anthony Fauci, agrees.

When March 27 arrives, all New York doctors will be required to switch from paper to electronic prescriptions, making the Empire State the first in the nation to make the move and say goodbye to the physician-scribbling tradition of providing medication. But it's an open question as to whether the deadline will be met.

1. In America, we have the luxury of plentiful, affordable energy and full bellies - and so we have groups who are raising a billion dollars a year criticizing modern science and technology. Most media outlets just play along but UPI recently took a critical look at one topic; the claims of health effects related to modern natural gas extraction.

California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, commonly called Proposition 65, was enacted by popular vote in 1986. It was initially sold as a way to prevent cancer and birth defects due to chemicals in drinking water and therefore got an overwhelmingly favorable response. Who isn’t in favor of clean water? (1)

Geeta Sidhu-Robb bills herself an inspirational mother of three, ex-corporate lawyer and entrepreneur who created a line of organic smoothies that she claims will detox you. Or anyone willing to give her money, really. She says her inspiration emerged because one of her children had severe food allergies, eczema and asthma and pesky medicine couldn't solve it. Really.

The current attempt by the New York City Board of Health to force chain restaurants to label foods containing high levels of salt has been stymied for now. This is a good development, since the idea that lowering the salt intake of the general population is not supported by scientific data.

Responding to the nations' opioid addiction crisis, the FDA held a hearing on March 1 in Silver Spring, MD to discuss how to get this serious problem under control. The Council, which was asked to provide input, was represented by President Hank Campbell and Dr. Josh Bloom, Senior Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

A British company is confronting the menstrual-talk “taboo” head-on with a new policy that offers women paid time off during their period. The hope is that the policy will allow women to take time for their body’s natural cycle without feeling the burdens of what continues to be a gender stigma.

There are two opioid crises in the world today. One is the epidemic of abuse and misuse, present in many countries but rising at an alarming rate in the United States. The other crisis is older and affects many more people around the world each year: too few opioids.

Who do you trust when it comes to information about food production? Unfortunately, according to a recent survey, over the last four years the public's trust in sources that are more likely to be scientifically-informed -- like government agencies -- seems to have eroded.

Ever wonder why you forget someone's name the moment you meet them? Studies on this very topic show that a person has a better chance at remembering someone's occupation than remembering his or her name