Pharmacies Don’t Know How to Dispose of Leftover Opioids and Antibiotics

Today (Dec. 30), a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., published the results of an investigation into whether or not pharmacy workers could provide accurate information on the disposal of two classes of drugs: opioids and antibiotics. The results are frightening: The researchers … Read more

Researcher Who Led Team That Genetically Edited Babies Sentenced to Prison in China

(BEIJING) — Three researchers involved in the births of genetically edited babies have been sentenced for practicing medicine illegally, Chinese state media said Monday. The report by Xinhua news agency said lead researcher He Jiankui was sentenced to three years and fined 3 million yuan ($430,000). Two other people received lesser sentences and fines. Zhang … Read more

20 Ways the World Got Better in 2019, in Charts

The last 12 months have felt chaotic, destabilizing, and on occasion apocalyptic. Toxic nationalist movements have risen across the globe; politics in democratic nations have increasingly polarized; wealth gaps continue to expand; and the specter of climate change lurking at a remove has become an actual monster inside the house. It’s difficult, in the context … Read more

Genetic Mutations In Father’s Sperm Can Predict Children’s Autism Risk

There’s no question that autism can be traced to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. One genetic contributor in particular has in recent years intrigued scientists studying autism: DNA mutations originating in fathers’ sperm. Studies have linked autism risk to de novo mutations, or changes in DNA that arise spontaneously in sperm as the … Read more

Half of the U.S. Population Will Be Obese by 2030

Obesity continues to be a serious health problem in the U.S., contributing to heart disease, diabetes, joint disorders and even certain types of cancer. And according to the latest data, more Americans will be obese by 2030 than ever before. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers led by Zachary … Read more