Biology in the News Explained

Does mastectomy equal selfectomy?

Why are we maintaining the assumption that women must continue to be defined by their physical characteristics? NIH inexplicably feels it's important to keep as many breasts around as possible, refusing to acknowledge that the maintenance of breasts can be an unnecessary burden for breast cancer survivors.

Most inopportune referendum

Ideology continues to trump the self-interest with voters, in an absurd example.

Could all states be swing states?

Since political donations now equal free speech, fairer elections could be obtained with a level playing field for how candidates spend their money.

Into the Woods

Sondheim's musical "Into the Woods" reminds us that there is no "happily ever after" in real life.

Rational decision making

It would be great to live in a world in which we make decisions as consumers (and as governments) based on a rational cost-benefit analysis, rather than knee-jerk ideology.

Insect Jazz

My jazz arrangement of the Coltrane standard "Inchworm."

Stop using antibacterial soaps now. Really.

"Anti-bacterial" soaps are nothing but a marketing ploy, and their active ingredient adds to the growing list of contaminants of uncertain effects in our environment. Just use plain old soap, it works fine.

Merck’s “fraud” is standard industry practice

It is routine for biotech companies to employ "ghost writers" to market their products through peer-reviewed journal articles. This is one reason the scientific rigor of medical publications is so low.

Your high-fish diet will soon be a thing of the past

We are in the golden age of fish-consumption: high-tech harvesting hauling in huge catches to satisfy the world's appetite. Prepare for it to end soon as global stocks continue to crash.

Economics and the environment, part 2

The "tragedy of the commons" argument assumes rational behavior on the part of humans, who have made it infinitely clear that the assumption is false. A free market (let alone government subsidies) will never result in a protected environment, no matter how privately owned it is.

Heterosexual marriage should not be legal

There are legal reasons to get married, and there are private reasons. Why can't we just keep them separate?

We won’t fix math education without fixing math stigma

Americans lag behind other countries in math ability for one simple reason that all the government commissions in the world won't solve — because in America, it's cool to hate math.