How Dietary Supplements Can Cause More Harm Than Good
The real problem with useless vitamins and other supplements? A psychological side effect known as "illusory invulnerability."
Do Airplanes Really Make You Sick?
A Curious Reader asks: Am I really at a higher risk of getting sick on an airplane?
When Doctors Took Opiates To Gain Credibility
Long before today's opioid epidemic, doctors shared stories of their own experiments with the drugs they prescribed their patients.
Rachel Carson’s Critics Called Her a Witch
When Silent Spring was published, the response was overtly gendered. Rachel Carson's critics depicted her as hysterical, mystical, and witchy.
The Man Who Invented Modern Infection Control
He's hailed as the "father of infection control" and the "savior of mothers," but the truth about Ignaz Semmelweis is more complicated than that.
Why Equality Matters More Than Income
Looking at children’s wellbeing in rich countries like the U.S. in 2007, scholars found that inequality may matter a lot more for kids’ lives than absolute income level.
Why Air Pollution Is a Socioeconomic Issue
Too much pollution can pose a health risk to anyone, but whether it is lethal or not mostly depends on the person's underlying health—and economic—status.
Why Do So Many Indonesian Men Smoke?
Indonesia has the highest smoking rates in the world. Why? It might have to do with economic liberalization in the 1990s.
Saving the Lives of Mothers and Babies
Between 1930 and 1950, advances in medicine also contributed to continuing, dramatic improvement in infants’ survival chances.
West Coast Infernos, Midday Mudslides, and the Little Cool Beans that Might Save the World
Wildfires and public health, predicting floods, and substituting beans for beef were top stories in environmental news this week.