The combined APS (American Physiological Society) and EB (Experimental Biology) conference was full of excitement for me. This was my first migraine-associated presentation to scientists, MDs, and premed students. I have never presented a poster at any conference—I have usually given lectures. I was concerned. Will my posters catch any interest? Then I arrived at […]
I’m not old enough that I actually remember ads for “Lickable Lead Paint” like the one above. And as a disclaimer, I’m not even sure this particular ad isn’t a spoof (lead acetate/lead paint taste sweet) of the very real “Dutch Boys Lead Party Book” which came out in the early twenties. I am old […]
Perhaps for the first time in human history our children face a decline in life expectancy compared to previous generations. Much of the research suggests the increase in obesity and the co-morbid chronic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and cancers are to blame. Pointing the finger at the modern diet is […]
So, let me get this straight….For people who are not pregnant, Zika is about as consequential as the common cold. Per the CDC, “Zika is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.”The only people who […]
We like smoking guns in modern medicine. Identify the pathogen, kill the pathogen, and develop a vaccine to prevent pathogenic exposures, illness solved (and money made). This has been the trajectory of modern medicine for decades and, for all intents and purposes, it appeared to work, at least on the surface. The approach is linear, logical, easily […]
Perhaps I’m naive, but I’ve always assumed that academic and government scientists were generally trustworthy, unbiased (or, at least as unbiased as possible given their humanity), and that they should be viewed as sources of truth. Academic and government scientists have minimal conflicts of interest, and they seek truth and the protection of the public, […]