Biology in the News Explained

An unsustainable obsession

The obsession with finding a way to reverse the natural aging process is wasting time and money that could be spent finding ways to increase quality of life for older people.

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.

Health carnival

"Take charge of your health" carnival is up at Health Plans Plus, with a post by Bioblog.

Will the feds destroy the CRP with continuing ethanol subsidies?

Ethanol subsidies making it profitable again to grow crops we don't otherwise need are undermining an important conservation program.

Why fear mongering is so successful

There's a reason fear-mongering works as a political strategy: the irrational part of our brain is much easier for other people to manipulate than the rational part.

Carnival of the Green, Scientia Pro Publica #4

Two carnivals up now feature Bioblog posts.

Tax corn products for health care

There's a simple way in which we can turn obscene federal agricultural subsidies into support for spiraling health care costs.