I love getting questions about science-related issues from readers. I particularly love it when a question intersects with an issue I myself am curious about, as happened when a reader got in touch with me last week: I need some advice about sunscreen. I just read some articles on CNN about new FDA guidelines and…
I’m guest-posting today! Alice at Science of Mom has recently featured two articles about conventional versus organic milk; the first claimed that milk from rBST-treated cows was the same as (or even preferable to) milk from non-rBST-treated cows, while the second claimed that conventional milk was just as good as organic. As a chemist with…
My husband and I are both avid cyclists, recreationally and for commuting purposes. We both owe our lives, several times over, to helmets. Some of our crashes have been due to, shall we say, “operator error,” while others have been the result of collisions with vehicles. Aside from those crashes that were severe enough to…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the week of April 21, 2012 to be World Immunization Week. The purpose of the initiative is to spread information about the importance and safety of vaccines. The question are vaccines safe and effective? weighs heavily on many parents. I’ll admit that even I, as staunch an advocate…
Misconceptions and fear have been fueling the anti-vaccination movement in recent years, particularly with regard to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. This is in part because a study published in The Lancet that linked the MMR vaccine to autism (Wakefield et al). In addition to rampant misinformation spread via the Internet, the Wakefield…
With W’s first birthday behind us, we’ve got 12-month shots in our immediate future. In addition to the panoply of vaccinations she’s been getting at her shot visits for the last year, she’s up for MMR and varicella (chickenpox) this time around. The MMR shot is one I am fervently in favor of, despite the…
There are many different techniques and mechanisms by which circumcision occurs. Since the purpose of this series of posts on circumcision is to address routine infant circumcision in the hospital environment, I will not be addressing alternate circumcision practices, including non-hospital (religious ritual) circumcision. Last week, I addressed the scientific evidence as it pertained to…
Nitrates and nitrites are chemically related to one another, and are commonly used as preservatives in a variety of food items. Bacon is perhaps the most notable example, but many packaged, processed meats — including many lunch meats — are among those that contain nitrates and nitrites. Even “natural” lunch meats, which don’t list nitrates…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in their continuing effort to promote public health and health awareness, has outlined the basics of zombie apocalypse preparedness. Yes, for real. As it turns out, preparing for the zombie apocalypse is similar to preparing for any other disaster: stock up on non-perishable food, water, and medications,…
I’ve noticed that when I’m conversing with someone who believes something non-scientific (vaccinations are dangerous, for instance, or herbal remedies are safer than pharmaceutical drugs), the rationale they give to support their belief system generally starts along the lines of, “I knew someone who…” While it’s tempting to build our beliefs on the sum of…
