The Snuggle Is Real

Kacie Willis, a 34-year-old audio producer in Atlanta, suffers from panic attacks with no known cause. She’s tried cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), anti-anxiety medication, mindfulness meditation, and CBD oil. Although some of these have provided relief, one coping mechanism has consistently helped her manage her anxiety, particularly at night: Kasey Kangaroo, a stuffed animal she’s … Read more

The Current COVID-19 Booster-Shot Strategy is Not Sustainable, Says FDA’s Expert Panel

While the currently available COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in protecting people from serious disease, public health experts still face a handful of important questions about the shots and their ability to continue to protect against the virus in coming years. Will a new version of the vaccine be more effective? How long does protection last? … Read more

Xylazine, a Dangerous Veterinary Tranquilizer, Is Showing Us the Future of the Overdose Crisis

There’s a new drug beginning to spread rapidly through the street drug supply of the United States: Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, increasingly used as a synthetic cutting agent for opioids like heroin. We recently published a study, based on years of research across the U.S., which found that xylazine is popping up in cities all … Read more

China’s Deepening Showdown with COVID-19

If Vladimir Putin hadn’t ordered an invasion of Ukraine, the headline-making story right now would be the intensifying war between China and COVID-19. In Shanghai (pop. around 26 million), state officials announced on March 27 that the eastern half of the city would be locked down until April 1 for mass COVID-19 testing. When that’s accomplished, the … Read more

Nearly Everyone in the World is Breathing Polluted Air, Says WHO

(GENEVA, Switzerland) — The U.N. health agency says nearly everybody in the world breathes air that doesn’t meet its standards for air quality, calling for more action to reduce fossil-fuel use, which generates pollutants that cause respiratory and blood-flow problems and lead to millions of preventable deaths each year. The World Health Organization, about six … Read more

What It’s Like Living With Aphasia—and How to Support a Loved One With the Condition

Bruce Willis, the 67-year-old actor and star of classic action movies like Die Hard, is halting his acting career after being diagnosed with the language disorder aphasia. On March 30, his daughter Rumer, ex-wife Demi Moore, and other family members announced the diagnosis on Instagram. “Our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and … Read more

The Human Genome Is Finally Fully Sequenced

The first human genome was mapped in 2001 as part of the Human Genome Project, but researchers knew it was neither complete nor completely accurate. Now, scientists have produced the most completely sequenced human genome to date, filling in gaps and correcting mistakes in the previous version. The sequence is the most complete reference genome … Read more