In addition to the billions of dollars of damage from wind and the rain, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have trashed the wastewater systems in the cities they tore through. Untreated water has combined with all the flooding from storm surges to fill the cities and surrounding areas, posing health risks for people trying to return to normalcy.
Typically, cancer drugs cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for a year’s supply. Drug companies argue that they need to charge that much to make back all the money they poured into years of research and development. For example, a new gene therapy for leukemia recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reportedly will cost $475,000 a year, and that’s considered a steal (paywall) by analysts’ estimates.
The little blue pill may not have ever been if not for one dutiful nurse.
Hurricane Irma struck the Caribbean last night (Sept. 6), killing at least ten people and causing thousands of dollars in infrastructure damage on affected islands. It’s the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic, and it comes just a week after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the southeastern US. On its tail are two newly-minted hurricanes, Jose and Katia.
Hurricane Irma has already reached the Caribbean, and will possibly hit Florida by the end of the week.
It’s often said that of all the published scientific research on climate change, 97% of the papers conclude that global warming is real, problematic for the planet, and has been exacerbated by human activity.
On the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 3, the body of yet another Hurricane Harvey victim was pulled out of the water in Texas.
Love it or hate it, pumpkin spice is back. Although it’s theoretically a fall drink, the flavor has already been popping up in cookies, donuts, cereals, and—as of Sept. 1—Starbucks lattes. It’s much like “the Christmas creep, but orange,” the New York Times declared (paywall).
This post has been updated as of Sept. 5, 10:30 am.
The US Drug Enforcement Agency classifies MDMA—the primary active chemical in ecstasy and molly—as a Schedule 1 drug. From the perspective of the US government, MDMA (used recreationally as a party drug because it gives users a sense of euphoria) falls under the same umbrella as heroin, and is considered to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Regulatory authorities in the UK and EU have classified MDMA similarly.
The destruction resulting from Hurricane Harvey is horrific. At least 39 people have perished. Billions of dollars of damage have been done, with at least 50,000 homes in the southeastern part of Texas completely ruined.
Researchers think they’ve found a way to more permanently treat an incurable movement disorder, by transplanting reprogrammed neurons made from stem cells into patients’ brains.
As tropical storm Harvey continues to pound the Texas coast, flood waters are rising in Houston, carrying with them debris from wrecked structures throughout the region. Locals are also reporting on Twitter that colonies of fire ants have been flooded from their nests, forming massive rafts drifting aimlessly in the water.
Some of the billions of dollars worth of damage Harvey has inflicted upon Texas has been on sewer systems, which means that the torrential rain is mixed with untreated water that probably contains human waste.
Almost every drug on the market for heart disease targets cholesterol. So it was major news on Aug. 27 when a group of cardiologists from around the world announced they’d discovered a drug that reduces inflammation—and currently used to treat juvenile arthritis—successfully prevented heart attacks, strokes, and other kinds of cardiac death in a recent trial.
It all could have been avoided with opaque envelopes.
People often delay seeking treatment for mental health conditions like depression. The longer they wait to see their doctors, the worse the condition becomes, making it harder to treat in the future.
Salmon fishing communities in the Pacific northwest are desperately trying to catch an invasive species of Atlantic salmon that escaped from nets over the weekend. Cooke Aquaculture, which was farming the fish, blamed the fiasco on eclipse-induced high tides—though conservation groups are skeptical.
What if the difference between ultramarathoners and the rest of us is just the tiny things living in their guts?
Everyone watching the US solar eclipse today (Aug. 21) was warned again and again: Wear certified protective glasses.
Here’s the thing about going to the doctor: It’s never going to be a great time. Yet it doesn’t have to be terrible.
Racist beauty standards do a lot of damage to non-white women. The immense global pressure to conform to a white European ideal—including light skin, straight hair, and a slim figure—means that women of color are particularly susceptible to developing psychological problems ranging from eating disorders to depression and generalized self-hatred.
If a company’s claims seem too good to be true, there’s a good chance they are.
The 2017 solar eclipse is fast approaching, and all over the US people are getting their glasses and travel plans in order for the occasion.
