Phages and Multi-Resistant Bacteria

What will we use when traditional antibiotics are no longer effective? Many believe we will use phages: In the War on Bacteria, It's Time to Call in the Phages

Prebiotics > Probiotics

Probiotics are not the panacea the industry would lead you to believe: Probiotic supplements claim to boost gut health, but may do opposite (gift article). See also Are Probiotics Making You Fat? probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented food — HealthHippieMD

Telehealth Facility Fees. Really?

I read an interesting story about facility fees. It doesn't seem right patients are charged a facility fee, even if they don't visit the facility. Making a telehealth appointment? You might still pay a facility fee. (gift article)

Hiccups and Cancer

Here is an article with everything you'd like to know about hiccups and a few things you might not: Hiccups have a curious connection to cancer

The Neuroscience of Spiritual Experiences

What is the science behind spiritual experiences, and how do they work from a neuroscientific standpoint? I learned quite a bit from the video: The neuroscience of spiritual experiences +More on mysticism and spirituality: The psychedelic origins of ancient mystical rites

Dad Jokes

Ever wonder why dads are singled out for their groan-worthy humor? This article is for you: What Makes a 'Dad Joke'?

Humor's Impact on Happiness

Here are some valuable hints on humor and happiness from the "How to Build a Life" Series: You Can Tell Bad Jokes and Have a Great Sense of Humor

You Could Care Less

"Humans, by nature, are social beings who crave connection, intimacy, and relationships. Caring about what others think of us is part of that desire to make connections and feel accepted." But what if you put too much weight on what others think? How to Not Care What People Think: 15 Expert Tips. See also: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) - Wait But Why

Tofu

The New York Times tackles tofu. Is it healthy or not? Is Tofu Good for You?

How Psychedelics Influence Depression

Psychedelic psychotherapy is all the rage now. What is the science behind psychedelics' potentially beneficial effects on mental health? How psychedelic drugs may help with depression | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Xenopharmacology

I'm fascinated by this topic, especially for pharmaceutical-dependent areas of medicine such as anesthesiology. As always, Scientific American publishes scientific ideas on the cutting edge. Further kudos to SI for featuring a neighbor (Matt Redinbo) in their article: How Gut Microbes Shape Our Response to Drugs

Animals and Childhood Allergies

An article in the Economist summarized a recent study published in PLOS One. "Children in households with dogs, the researchers found, had lower rates than average of allergies to eggs, milk, and nuts. Those cohabiting with cats seemed more tolerant of eggs, wheat, and soybeans. However, children whose parents kept "turtles" (terrapins, in particular, are popular pets in Japan) appeared unaffected. And, curiously, those exposed to hamsters appeared more likely than average to be allergic to nuts." More evidence that animals reduce childhood allergies

FDA's Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database

"To help manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of dietary supplements stay informed about recent developments and locate information on FDA's website quickly, we have put together an "ingredient directory" with links to FDA's actions and communications concerning particular dietary ingredients and other ingredients used in products marketed as dietary supplements." Dietary Supplement Ingredient Directory

Tripping in the Bronze Age

"A new study based on strands of hair found in a Spanish burial cave reveals that humans living about 3,000 years ago used hallucinogens, likely derived from local plants, as part of their rituals." Tripping in the Bronze Age

On the Topic of Earworms

Everything you'd like to know about the musical phenomenon of Earworms: Song Stuck in Your Head? What Earworms Reveal About Health

Pet Head-Tilts

Dogs have many endearing behaviors. One of my favorites is the head-tilt: Why do dogs tilt their heads? It may signal intelligence.

Finland: The Happiest Country on Earth?

Finland once again led the list of the world's happiest countries. The why is far from cut and dry: "It turns out even the happiest people in the world aren't that happy. But they are something more like the content." Why Is Finland the Happiest Country on Earth? The Answer Is Complicated.

Getting to the Bottom of Fatigue

Fatigue is an important sign. Here is what to pay attention to Fatigue can have many causes. There are ways to ease it. (gift article)

Spring Cleaning (Your Brain)

Here are some tips from WaPo on using the Spring to revamp your life: How to spring clean your brain (gift article)

Play, Video Games, and Learning

Much of my research over my last years at Duke had to do with the use of video games in education and patient care. Here is a look at state of the art in the field: To Supercharge Learning, Look to Play [^1] See also Education is Broken and my other lectures at Presentations on my ePortfolio.

[^1]: I own shares of Akili Interactive whose EndeavorRx is mentioned in the article.

ChatGPT Writes Obituaries Too

This author experimented with ChatGPT, having it write her eulogy: I Had An AI Chatbot Write My Eulogy. It Was Very Weird Although I found the concept of the article interesting, the author lost me with the last paragraph, "Regardless of how advanced these tools become, one thing should now be obvious: their well-documented biases and flawed decision-making abilities mean they should never be used to do anything of consequence." Totally disagree!

ChatGPT and Science

Are you using generative AI to generate research ideas and scholarly publications? It's already possible: "...a chatbot was deemed capable of generating quality academic research ideas." Why ChatGPT Could Usher in a New Era of Scientific Discovery

Tim Urban Writes a Book

I'm rarely excited by an upcoming book. But Tim Urban, the creative force behind Wait But Why (one of my favorite websites), is publishing a book this week (Amazon | Apple). In his latest blog post, A Short History of My Last Six Years — Wait But Why, he explains the six-year journey examining our society. "This book is my best crack at explaining what I think is an existential risk to liberal societies and what I think we need to do to get to that awesome future I used to be so excited about."

ME/CFS and the Microbiome

I've written about how Long Covid has ignited interest in a long-time ignored and misunderstood medical condition, ME/CFS. The NIH Director's blog mentioned recent clues to the disease in the microbiome: "... suggesting that imbalances in certain bacterial species inhabiting the gut could be used as measurable biomarkers to aid in the accurate and timely diagnosis of ME/CFS. It also points to a possible therapeutic target to explore."_ More Clues into ME/CFS Discovered in Gut Microbiome – NIH Director's Blog

Vibrating Pills for Constipation

Here is a new, FDA-approved medical device for the drug-free treatment of constipation: Vibrating Pill for Constipation Now Available This adds a whole new meaning to moving your bowels.....

You are not Your Attachment Style

I love the book Attached.. Here is an interesting article that offers an overview of Attachment Theory and some of the more common misperceptions: You Can Change Your Attachment Style

Friendship

The Atlantic curated a series of articles on enduring friendship: Why We Lose Our Friends as We Age - The Atlantic (subscription required)

Relationships and Serious Disease

Being diagnosed with a severe illness is challenging enough. But medical issues also can have a devastating effect on relationships/marriages: Why Men Leave Sick Wives - Facing Illness Alone

Optimism and Pessimism

"_Optimism and pessimism, it turns out, are all about the stories we tell ourselves after both our successes and our failures._" Are You (Still) an Optimist? These Questions Might Help Explain Why (gift article)

Six Steps to Improve Your Mood for Good

An academic happiness researcher advises on improving your life: The Key to Happiness: 6 Strategies To Boost Your Mood for Good

Asthma Drug Recovers "Lost" Memories (Pre-Clinical)

A side effect of sleep deprivation is amnesia, but whether memory loss is a storage or retrieval problem has been unclear. These scientists are zeroing in on the answer: "This study shows that neurons in the hippocampus retain the memories, albeit in an inaccessible state, but that they can be rescued artificially." Asthma drug brings back "lost" memories

Ultra-processed Foods and Obesity

Wired had a great overview of the impact of ultra-processed foods on body weight. "The results of the study surprised Hall. On the ultra-processed diet, people ate around 500 extra calories daily and weighed about two pounds more pounds." Fat, Sugar, Salt ... You’ve Been Thinking About Food All Wrong

Endocannabinoids and Health

Just like opiates, your body produces endogenous compounds that bind to the same receptors as compounds in marijuana. Research on endocannabinoids lags far behind opiates, but research has shown "An imbalance in the production of endocannabinoids, or in the body's responsiveness to them, can lead to major clinical disorders, including obesity as well as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases." People produce endocannabinoids – similar to compounds found in marijuana – that are critical to many bodily functions is a nice overview. For more on endocannabinoids, see: Why does running give you a high? A look at the science and Cannabinoids - HealthHippieMD

The Brain and the Immune Response

Nature had an excellent overview of efforts to unravel further how the brain affects immune function: Your brain could be controlling how sick you get — and how you recover (subscription required)

The Dark Side of Ketamine Telemedicine

Covid influenced many changes in medicine. One of those changes was a loosening of regulations surrounding the remote prescription of controlled substances. A Fraught New Frontier in Telehealth: Ketamine (gift article) talks about the dark side of the remote prescription trend.

The Book of Blue Zones

The Economist had an interesting article on Blue Zones, an area of the world with a disproportionate share of centenarians: Christian Californians may have a solution to America's obesity | The Economist (subscription required)

Hard Dew

I had no idea about the roots of Mountain Dew. I had no idea Mountain Dew was a nickname for moonshine. Why PepsiCo's and Coca-Cola's Alcohol Drinks Worry Health Experts (gift article) discusses the worrisome trend of "hardening" traditional soft drinks. Next up, marijuana tinged soft-drinks.....

Think Like A Monk

In addition to Tim Urban's book, I've started reading Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. I'm about three chapters in and enjoying the material. Highly recommended! (Thanks, Sandy!)