Biology in the News Explained

Pharmacology Carnival

The carnival on drugs and pharmacology is now up at BrainBlogger, with a post by Bioblog.

At least now it’s official

Is the U.S. Senate really just figuring out now that insurance companies exist to maximize profit instead of health?

A cash crop of insanity

When we could be growing our own food to get out from under the thumb of agribusiness, Americans instead put huge amounts of time, cash, and chemicals into a crop that we throw out immediately after harvesting.

Don’t take multivitamins during chemotherapy

Because the interaction between multivitamins including antioxidants with chemotherapy drugs are unknown, but supplements can have unintended negative effects, probably the best strategy is to avoid supplements and instead focus on a healthy diet.

There is no cure

A better way to think about cancer treatment is to realize first that we all have cancer — it's just a matter of degree. Then perhaps we can inhabit the more rational world between "cure" and death.

Order, design, tension, balance, and harmony

On art, "Sunday in the Park with George" and being human.