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How can we move scientific research in directions that are felt to be "socially optimal"? While there is no stick to get science redirected, government funding can supply the carrot. How big a carrot is needed? That depends. Let's take a look.

Branding normal phases of development and transitions have become a thing, mainly to sell books more than identify any new discovery. That said, the first three months of a baby’s life after birth and mom’s postpartum period is a rather unique time for many reasons.

Taking a bite out of something -- and then dipping it into a sauce or spread -- is by no means a sanitary practice. A group of Clemson University undergraduates investigated whether dipping a piece of food into several different dips would transfer bacteria. Was George Costanza right or wrong?

Some species of bugs in our intestine may contribute to weight gain more than others. And these may become more prevalent when competitors are reduced by antibiotics.

Ideology, not medical reality, has infected much of modern parenting. The most compelling pediatric articles -- centered around misguided activism that still persists -- focused on infant feeding, vaccines and mom-shaming.

That's a good question. Let's go back more than 200 years for a look at an early answer to this fundamental question.

The current party season is winding down. Sociologists believe parties provide more than a drink and a snack, they can create the circumstances for serendipity to change your life.

If smokers follow the advice of Glantz, a professor at the University of California-San Francisco, they will die. It's that simple.

From forensic science to bioethics and societal issues, this rather eclectic mix reveals what captivates us and captures our attention.

With so much disinformation on the Internet, debunking junk science and bogus health claims could be a full-time job. Indeed, "debunkery" is one of the main reasons why ACSH exists. Narrowing down a full year's worth of nonsense into the 10 worst bogus health stories is quite a challenge. But we never shy down from a challenge. Here are the stinkiest stories from the past 12 months.

Defrauding the federal government has a long and colorful history. The practice dates as far back as the Civil War, when companies tried to foist lame horses, sick mules and even sawdust in place of gunpowder on our troops. So it's time to cue the theme music ... for this roundup (pun absolutely intended) of this past year's notable healthcare frauds.

The Oregon Democrat recently wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, claiming that his Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, formed in 2016, was corrupted by big pharma money. The task force was charged with reforming the CDC's disastrous 2016 opioid guidelines. Sen. Wyden claims that two respected physicians in the group had conflicts of interest. Instead, perhaps it's time for the lawmaker to look in the mirror.

For the three large pharmaceutical companies that still maintain antibiotic R&D, what do the next 12 months have in store? This year a new biotech, Prokaryotics, licensed a number of preclinical antibiotic assets from Merck. What antibiotic discovery activity still remains at Merck? Our expert expects there will be minimal effort.

In a world of food fads, dairy milk is old news. Even though it's not currently considered a "superfood" the farm-based beverage is just as healthy as it always was. So drink up!

The FDA's current regulatory framework is out of whack -- and it comes at the expense of patient safety. The Wild West of "stem cell" clinics continues. This time, patients are hospitalized with blood infections to spinal abscesses.

Synthetic biology is like genetic engineering on steroids. Using cutting-edge computational design, synthetic biology aims to design novel biological molecules -- or even entire metabolic systems. Here's a plan to use this new technology to develop a world-changing treatment for Celiac disease. 

A study of chicken bones helps tell the story of our Anthropocene times, which is when Sapiens began making a significant impact on the planet. What lessons can we learn from how we have, so significantly, altered a bird to fit our needs?

Overlooked in the final Christmas rush were two reports from the USDA. They highlighted that very few of our foods were found to contain pesticide residues, while the use of human antibiotics in animals is decreasing.

Artificial Intelligence and magical thinking have found their way to the Cleveland Clinic, as it relates to back problems. Those at the facility use buzzwords like "A.I," "platform" and "cost-efficiency" to repackage their care offerings and be on the "cutting edge."

By encouraging the avoidance of unpleasant things and equalizing all degrees of suffering, our culture has overcorrected to the point of hampering child development.

Models (not those kind) help us understand our world. But the assumptions we make in creating models can lead us astray. Here's a list of six ways the devil is in the details.

One way to discover drugs is by drug repurposing, which is the process of discovering "new" drugs from "old" ones. Instead of starting from scratch (which takes 10+ years), if scientists can find an approved drug that treats a different -- often untreatable -- condition, considerable time and cost can be saved. In this manner, a drug that cures hepatitis C was found be effective against Yellow Fever and Chikungunya. Does this make sense?

Whether one is sick or well, the end of life tends to have its own unique story and reaction. There can be sudden deaths of less surprise to us than the final act of an unrelenting terminal disease. But why are we almost always a bit surprised to learn of someone's death?

The website ProPublica would have you believe that lunches or speaker fees physicians received from Big Pharma are gifts, requiring something in return. But in this holiday season, we should consider the meaning of gifts -- and realize that the current-affairs watchdog is barking up the wrong tree.

Marketing normal development manufactures a problem in need of a solution, which typically appears in the form of an expensive product. As a result, the vulnerability and fears of new parents get most exploited.