Category Archives: medicine

Coffee

Posted on March 29, 2013 by

I love the science section published each Tuesday in the New York Times. And I hate it, too. A delicious story emerged this week about folks who live on the island of Ikaria, off the mainland of Greece.

Posted in community, framing, journalism, medicine, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nibbled to Death by Ducks

Posted on March 28, 2013 by

One of my colleagues said working in university administration is like being nibbled to death by ducks. And this week a world leader said if you’re popular in your job, you’re probably not doing a good job. Result: some poor … Continue reading →

Posted in health, journalism, medicine, Native Science, science, science communication | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Science Ethics Redux

Posted on March 25, 2013 by

Henrietta Lacks is back in the news. Lacks’ story captured headlines after Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 book revealed the dying mother had her cells removed for science—without her permission. Doctors at Johns Hopkins hospital had tried unsuccessfully to keep alive human … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics, health, human origin, journalism, medicine, science, science communication, social media, writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Maggots for Medicine

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

Maggots—the offspring of flies—are making their way to the modern medicine chest, according to this month’s Scientific American. The wee young of flies—larvae—munch on dead skin, cleaning bacteria from wounds. Science writer Carrie Arnold notes the FDA approved medical use … Continue reading →

Posted in framing, Indian, medicine, Native Science, science communication | Tagged | Leave a comment

Not Quite, Sherlock

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

We teach students to be critical—to look beyond the obvious. Question assumptions. Just like Sherlock Holmes, whose exploits are finding new audiences in 2013, we should look beyond the surface.

Posted in cinema, medicine, neuroscience, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Science of Thought

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

My days are full of epiphanies and ah-hah moments, often because I learn something new and I’m piqued. Sometimes the epiphany arrives like the UPS delivery chap who knocks on the wrong door. Like the package I can’t keep, the … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, authenticity, framing, medicine, neuroscience, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nit-picking Scientific American

Posted on February 7, 2013 by

Excited to crack open my first issue of Scientific American. My colleagues in the science writing and science information fields have recommended the magazine to me. So, after receiving a bonus from the web-based superstore Amazon, I traded points for … Continue reading →

Posted in framing, health, human origin, individualism, journalism, medicine, Native Science, neuroscience, news bias, risk, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Women Catch up to Men

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

Finally. Women have caught up with men. Women and men share the same likelihood of dying from smoking. We’ve closed the gap. But the scary thing is the risk and the odds. Smoking will increase your risk of death by … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, framing, medicine, Native Science, risk, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When Research Creates Origami

Posted on October 2, 2012 by

The New England Journal of Medicine went out on a limb with an editorial that advised readers to let the data speak for themselves. And ignore the funding source. Jeffrey M. Drazen’s September 20 editorial says that a study’s “validity … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, health, medicine, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Organic vs. Conventional Food: No Difference

Posted on September 7, 2012 by

Media folks are buzzing this week over a Stanford study about the nutritional differences between organic and conventional foods. The study found almost no differences.

Posted in medicine, NAGPRA, risk, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments