General Health & Science
Whatever Happened to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The Atlantic, October 31, 2023
During the late 1980s through the 1990s, feverish media reports detailed a crisis of repetitive strain injury among white-collar workers, with carpal tunnel syndrome becoming a stand-in for all RSIs. Then, during the early 2000s, the media went silent on this issue. Today, it is clear that this boom-and-bust cycle was never quite what it seemed.
The Atlantic, October 31, 2023
During the late 1980s through the 1990s, feverish media reports detailed a crisis of repetitive strain injury among white-collar workers, with carpal tunnel syndrome becoming a stand-in for all RSIs. Then, during the early 2000s, the media went silent on this issue. Today, it is clear that this boom-and-bust cycle was never quite what it seemed.
HPV can cause numerous kinds of cancer, yet many people don't realize it
NBC News, April 17, 2023
A majority of Americans are unaware that HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, can cause a number of major cancers, a new study found. Researchers were surprised over one finding in particular: a decline in awareness that HPV, which is vaccine preventable, is linked to cervical cancer.
NBC News, April 17, 2023
A majority of Americans are unaware that HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, can cause a number of major cancers, a new study found. Researchers were surprised over one finding in particular: a decline in awareness that HPV, which is vaccine preventable, is linked to cervical cancer.
California's Plan for Cheaper Insulin Collides With Big Pharma's Price Cuts
The New York Times, March 24, 2023
California is moving ahead with its plan to produce state-sponsored insulin through a $50 million contract with Civica, a nonprofit organization. But its goal of offering cheaper medicine than brand-name companies may be much harder to achieve now that those major drug makers have decided to significantly drop sticker prices on some products.
The New York Times, March 24, 2023
California is moving ahead with its plan to produce state-sponsored insulin through a $50 million contract with Civica, a nonprofit organization. But its goal of offering cheaper medicine than brand-name companies may be much harder to achieve now that those major drug makers have decided to significantly drop sticker prices on some products.
CDC warns about the rise in almost untreatable Shigella bacterial infections
NBC News, March 1, 2023
The CDC is warning about a rise in extensively drug-resistant cases of the bacterial infection Shigella, a major cause of inflammatory diarrhea. The agency calls the new form of the stomach bug, which causes the diarrheal condition known as shigellosis, a “serious public health threat.” Evidence suggests the illness is spreading among gay and bisexual men in particular, apparently through sexual contact.
NBC News, March 1, 2023
The CDC is warning about a rise in extensively drug-resistant cases of the bacterial infection Shigella, a major cause of inflammatory diarrhea. The agency calls the new form of the stomach bug, which causes the diarrheal condition known as shigellosis, a “serious public health threat.” Evidence suggests the illness is spreading among gay and bisexual men in particular, apparently through sexual contact.
Emailing Your Doctor May Carry a Fee
The New York Times, January 24, 2023
Electronic health communications and telemedicine have exploded in recent years, fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and relaxed federal rules on billing for these types of care. In turn, a growing number of health care organizations, including some of the nation’s major hospital systems have begun charging fees for some responses to more time-intensive patient queries via secure electronic portals like MyChart.
The New York Times, January 24, 2023
Electronic health communications and telemedicine have exploded in recent years, fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and relaxed federal rules on billing for these types of care. In turn, a growing number of health care organizations, including some of the nation’s major hospital systems have begun charging fees for some responses to more time-intensive patient queries via secure electronic portals like MyChart.
California Joins Other States in Suing Companies Over Insulin Prices
The New York Times, January 18, 2023
California has become the largest state to sue the major companies on the insulin market, accusing them of illegally inflating the price of the treatment and spawning a financial and public health crisis. Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, said in announcing the lawsuit that the companies had engaged in “unlawful, unfair and deceptive practices."
The New York Times, January 18, 2023
California has become the largest state to sue the major companies on the insulin market, accusing them of illegally inflating the price of the treatment and spawning a financial and public health crisis. Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, said in announcing the lawsuit that the companies had engaged in “unlawful, unfair and deceptive practices."
After Fetterman debate, stroke survivors speak about their own struggles
NBC News, October 2022
For stoke survivors, the test Fetterman faced as he debated Mehmet Oz was not just political, but deeply personal. In him, they saw an avatar of their own struggles following a stroke: to recuperate physically, to communicate fluently and to coax from others an empathetic understanding that while some of their faculties may have been compromised, their intellects often remain unscathed.
NBC News, October 2022
For stoke survivors, the test Fetterman faced as he debated Mehmet Oz was not just political, but deeply personal. In him, they saw an avatar of their own struggles following a stroke: to recuperate physically, to communicate fluently and to coax from others an empathetic understanding that while some of their faculties may have been compromised, their intellects often remain unscathed.
Why leaders like Putin are paranoid about guarding their poop
The New York Post
June 2022
Vladimir Putin is so worried about enemies getting a look at his poop that he reportedly employs a special team of people who retrieve his excrement wherever and whenever he travels. His fears are not far-fetched: Experts in fecal analysis say a stool sample can give many insights into an individual’s overall health and diet, including their medical treatments.
The New York Post
June 2022
Vladimir Putin is so worried about enemies getting a look at his poop that he reportedly employs a special team of people who retrieve his excrement wherever and whenever he travels. His fears are not far-fetched: Experts in fecal analysis say a stool sample can give many insights into an individual’s overall health and diet, including their medical treatments.
Viagra and nitrates don't mix, so how are some men still taking both?
NBC News, April 2022
Mixing erectile dysfunction drugs with nitrates for chest pain can cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Researchers have recently found, however that a substantial number of men are nevertheless obtaining overlapping prescriptions for both classes of drugs. But evidence suggests that they don’t appear to suffer negative health outcomes, such as heart attacks, as a result.
NBC News, April 2022
Mixing erectile dysfunction drugs with nitrates for chest pain can cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Researchers have recently found, however that a substantial number of men are nevertheless obtaining overlapping prescriptions for both classes of drugs. But evidence suggests that they don’t appear to suffer negative health outcomes, such as heart attacks, as a result.
After cancer screenings fell during Covid-19, an effort to reverse the trend
NBC's Today
March 2022
Given the worrisome drop in cancer screenings seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, health care facilities across the nation have been mobilizing to make-up for lost time. The overarching goal is to mitigate the harmful impact delayed cancer detection can have. A paper published in the journal Cancer offers good news and bad news on this front.
NBC's Today
March 2022
Given the worrisome drop in cancer screenings seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, health care facilities across the nation have been mobilizing to make-up for lost time. The overarching goal is to mitigate the harmful impact delayed cancer detection can have. A paper published in the journal Cancer offers good news and bad news on this front.
As Meth Overdoses Soar, Scientists Develop First Regimen to Treat Addiction to the Drug
NBC News, February 2021
Just as the National Institute on Drug Abuse has issued a report detailing the U.S.'s soaring rate of overdose deaths tied to meth, a national research team has reached a milestone by developing the first safe and efficacious medication-based treatment for addiction to the often ruinous stimulant.
NBC News, February 2021
Just as the National Institute on Drug Abuse has issued a report detailing the U.S.'s soaring rate of overdose deaths tied to meth, a national research team has reached a milestone by developing the first safe and efficacious medication-based treatment for addiction to the often ruinous stimulant.
Managing the Majestic Jumbo Flying Squid
The New York Times, June 2020
Multiple studies have found that climate change’s striking impact on the oceans — through warming, acidification, declining oxygen content and shifts in currents — is driving marine-creature territories in a mass shift away from the tropics and toward the poles. Jumbo squid have been expanding further down Chile's coastline, bringing economic opportunities, but also raising conflicts over the precious resource.
The New York Times, June 2020
Multiple studies have found that climate change’s striking impact on the oceans — through warming, acidification, declining oxygen content and shifts in currents — is driving marine-creature territories in a mass shift away from the tropics and toward the poles. Jumbo squid have been expanding further down Chile's coastline, bringing economic opportunities, but also raising conflicts over the precious resource.
To Feed a Hot Planet, They're Making More Efficient Plants
The New York Times, September 2019
To save the world from massive food shortages and cascading geopolitical crises, Australian agricultural researchers, along with their global colleagues and counterparts, need to cultivate crops that can achieve unprecedented bounty in ever harsher and more unpredictable conditions and yet thrive with fewer resources—including land, water and fertilizer—than today’s varieties.
The New York Times, September 2019
To save the world from massive food shortages and cascading geopolitical crises, Australian agricultural researchers, along with their global colleagues and counterparts, need to cultivate crops that can achieve unprecedented bounty in ever harsher and more unpredictable conditions and yet thrive with fewer resources—including land, water and fertilizer—than today’s varieties.
A Breeding Ground for a Fatal Scourge: Nursing Homes
The New York Times, Sept. 2019
(Additional reporting byline)
Nearly 40 patients at Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, have been infected with or carry C. auris, a germ so virulent and hard to eradicate that some facilities will not accept patients with it. Now, as they struggle to contain the pathogen, public health officials from cities, states and the federal government say that skilled nursing facilities like Palm Gardens are fueling its spread.
The New York Times, Sept. 2019
(Additional reporting byline)
Nearly 40 patients at Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, have been infected with or carry C. auris, a germ so virulent and hard to eradicate that some facilities will not accept patients with it. Now, as they struggle to contain the pathogen, public health officials from cities, states and the federal government say that skilled nursing facilities like Palm Gardens are fueling its spread.
Paid Family Leave is a Game-Changer for New Parents' Health, Not Just Their Economic Security
The Nation, August 2019
The U.S. stands alone among wealthy nations for not providing paid family leave. Instead, the nation guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid time off following the birth of a child--a policy that covers only about 60 percent of private sector workers. Research indicates that paid family leave policies could provide new parents with myriad health benefits, in addition to the much-touted economic ones.
The Nation, August 2019
The U.S. stands alone among wealthy nations for not providing paid family leave. Instead, the nation guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid time off following the birth of a child--a policy that covers only about 60 percent of private sector workers. Research indicates that paid family leave policies could provide new parents with myriad health benefits, in addition to the much-touted economic ones.
These Days, It's Not About the Polar Bears
The New York Times, May 2019
The United States has a serious climate-denial problem. Enter the fast-growing academic field of climate change communication. Across a swath of mostly Western nations, social scientists in fields like psychology, political science, sociology and communications studies have produced an expansive volume of peer-reviewed papers in an effort to cultivate more effective methods for getting the global warming message across and inspiring action.
The New York Times, May 2019
The United States has a serious climate-denial problem. Enter the fast-growing academic field of climate change communication. Across a swath of mostly Western nations, social scientists in fields like psychology, political science, sociology and communications studies have produced an expansive volume of peer-reviewed papers in an effort to cultivate more effective methods for getting the global warming message across and inspiring action.
Dying to Entertain Us: Celebrities Keep ODing on Opioids and No One Cares
The Village Voice, July 2018
The overall reaction to the overdoses of Prince, Tom Petty, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger has amounted to nothing much when it comes to awakening Americans to the scope of the opioid crisis. By comparison, Rock Hudson’s 1985 death from AIDS, as well as Magic Johnson’s announcement in 1991 that he had HIV, utterly jolted the national conversation about that epidemic.
The Village Voice, July 2018
The overall reaction to the overdoses of Prince, Tom Petty, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger has amounted to nothing much when it comes to awakening Americans to the scope of the opioid crisis. By comparison, Rock Hudson’s 1985 death from AIDS, as well as Magic Johnson’s announcement in 1991 that he had HIV, utterly jolted the national conversation about that epidemic.
"Racism Got You Stressed? That May Be Holding Kids Back at School, Too."
(The Nation, Oct. 2016)
Research suggests the stress all of today's widespread racial conflict generates may itself do lasting damage to the next generation of people of color in the United States. According to a new paper out of Northwestern University, race-based stress kick-starts psychological and biological changes among black and Latino children that compromise their school performance and ultimately widen school achievement disparities between races.
(The Nation, Oct. 2016)
Research suggests the stress all of today's widespread racial conflict generates may itself do lasting damage to the next generation of people of color in the United States. According to a new paper out of Northwestern University, race-based stress kick-starts psychological and biological changes among black and Latino children that compromise their school performance and ultimately widen school achievement disparities between races.
"'Born This Way' May Be The Wrong Song." (Second Nexus, Feb. 2016)
The vast chorus of personal testimony about the unchangeable nature of sexuality notwithstanding, there is weak scientific evidence supporting the notion that infants emerge from womb already primed as gay, lesbian or bisexual. And a new study now suggests that born-this-way arguments may not actually be the best way to promote acceptance toward gays.
The vast chorus of personal testimony about the unchangeable nature of sexuality notwithstanding, there is weak scientific evidence supporting the notion that infants emerge from womb already primed as gay, lesbian or bisexual. And a new study now suggests that born-this-way arguments may not actually be the best way to promote acceptance toward gays.
"Sorry, Pollyanna, Happiness Doesn't Make You Live Longer."
(Second Nexus, Feb. 2016)
If you pay attention to the preachings of self-help gurus and panacea-promising magazine articles, you might think that a sunny disposition is the key to a long life. But a study published in the Lancet in December casts serious doubt on this received wisdom, finding that, while happiness may influence healthy behaviors, it has no apparent direct effect on the risk of death.
(Second Nexus, Feb. 2016)
If you pay attention to the preachings of self-help gurus and panacea-promising magazine articles, you might think that a sunny disposition is the key to a long life. But a study published in the Lancet in December casts serious doubt on this received wisdom, finding that, while happiness may influence healthy behaviors, it has no apparent direct effect on the risk of death.
"Eyewitness Testimony Is Unreliable… Or Is It?"
(The Marshall Project, Oct. 2015) A new study of the data says it depends on timing.
The question of how confident witnesses are when they first identify a subject in a lineup might seem like a minor detail. But it’s at the center of a vigorous debate among eyewitness memory experts. The outcome of this debate could have important ramifications for the criminal justice system, and could add an important layer of nuance to the critiques of eyewitness testimony.
(The Marshall Project, Oct. 2015) A new study of the data says it depends on timing.
The question of how confident witnesses are when they first identify a subject in a lineup might seem like a minor detail. But it’s at the center of a vigorous debate among eyewitness memory experts. The outcome of this debate could have important ramifications for the criminal justice system, and could add an important layer of nuance to the critiques of eyewitness testimony.
"It's Science: Raising the Minimum Wage Would Make America a Happier Place." (The Nation, Oct. 2015)
“There’s this idea that our society is premised on the pursuit of happiness,” says Laura Smith, a psychologist at Columbia University’s Teachers College. That premise, she reasons, is tied to the implicit American social contract, “which is that a hard day’s work is going to be the pathway to full enfranchised citizenship. And when full-time contributors to the necessary fabric of society can’t earn enough to lift their families out of poverty, our tacit social contract is compromised.”
“There’s this idea that our society is premised on the pursuit of happiness,” says Laura Smith, a psychologist at Columbia University’s Teachers College. That premise, she reasons, is tied to the implicit American social contract, “which is that a hard day’s work is going to be the pathway to full enfranchised citizenship. And when full-time contributors to the necessary fabric of society can’t earn enough to lift their families out of poverty, our tacit social contract is compromised.”
"What 311 Calls Can Tell Us About Gentrification." (New York magazine, Aug. 2015) An NYU study found that New York City complaints about neighbors tend to spike at the "fuzzy" boundaries between segregated neighborhoods.
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“Propecia Side Effects. What You Don't Know About Propecia (Be-cause They Don't Know Either)." (AskMen.com, March 2015) The drug has been prescribed to millions of balding men since 1997, but sci-entists still don’t have a firm handle on how safe it is.
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“It Really Might ‘Get Better’ for LGBT Teens.” (The Atlantic, February 2015)
A new study lends support to the idea that bullying and depression decrease over time. |