AI and Peer Review
Could Artificial Intelligence be the tool we need to fix the problems with science?
Plexus: MLM Strikes Again
Many health-related products are sold through multilevel marketing (MLM); now the FTC is warning them to stop making false claims about COVID-19. The tactics that MLMs use to promote all their products are deceptive and are a variation on the old Ponzi scam.
In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, can we trust the CDC and FDA any more?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the US, increasing concern has been expressed about the politicization of the CDC and FDA due to pressure from the Trump administration to downplay the severity of the pandemic and push out treatments and a vaccine as fast as possible, potentially at the expense of safety. This has led me to a disturbing question: Can I trust...
Do I really need to do a fecal test on my dog every year?
Why do vets want your dog's poop so bad? Why does it have to be fresh? WHY IS IT SO WARM WHEN I TOUCH IT? WHY?? WHHHYYY?????
FDA warns companies selling illegal hangover remedies
The FDA recently warned seven companies not to claim that their dietary supplements can prevent, treat, or cure a hangover, because only FDA-approved drugs can make such claims. The agency also warned that NAC, a popular supplement ingredient, cannot legally be used in dietary supplements.
FDA Decision on Oleandra
FDA rejects the application for oleandrin as a new dietary ingredient, but flaws in the regulations remain.
New book: Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement
This book is a handy compendium of everything worth knowing about the anti-vaccine movement and how to challenge the misinformation.
Don’t use a COVID-19 vaccine, cry the antivaxxers, because of the horseshoe crab!
Antivaxxers are now urging vegans not to use a COVID-19 vaccine because blood from horseshoe crabs will be used in its manufacture. At its heart, this is no different than their weaponization of beliefs against other vaccine ingredients, except that it does use a germ of a good point that we should be looking for other ways to ensure that vaccines have...
Did the “Benadryl Challenge” Kill an Oklahoma Teen?
Did a dangerous new TikTok "challenge" result in the death of a 15-year-old teenager from Oklahoma? Probably not, but Benadryl is still a bad drug and parents should discuss the dangers of social media with their young children.
The TikTok “Benadryl Challenge” is demonstrating how toxic Benadryl can be
Even without the risk of overdose, there are good reasons to avoid Benadryl entirely.
The Mask Ask: Understanding and Addressing Mask Resistance
The wearing of masks has become contentious on scientific and ideological grounds. Why is that, and how can we communicate with people who don’t follow the scientific guidelines?