Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
AIDS was a terrifying mystery, and then we solved it. When researchers identified the human immunodeficiency virus as the reason why young, previously healthy people were developing rare cancers and wasting away, it was a triumph of medical science. But even as the medical community reached a consensus that HIV caused AIDS, a counter-movement was…
THURSDAY, Oct. 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a finding that underscores the dangers of not vaccinating all children for measles, researchers estimate that one in eight American children are vulnerable to this highly infectious disease. The statistics are even more troubling for younger children: Almost a quarter of those under the age of 3…
Most experts today agree that the belief that childhood vaccines cause autism is based on bunk science. Even still, some advocacy groups claim immunizations are responsible for raising the risk for this neurodevelopmental condition, despite a growing body of research that shows there isn’t a link. (The study that most anti-vaccination groups point to was retracted after…
There’s a meme aimed at Millennial catharsis called “Old Economy Steve.” It’s a series of pictures of a late-70s teenager, who presumably is now a middle-aged man, that mocks some of the messages Millennials say they hear from older generations—and shows why they’re deeply janky. Old Economy Steve graduates and gets a job right away….
Specialists in infectious disease are protesting a gigantic overnight increase in the price of a 62-year-old drug that is the standard of care for treating a life-threatening parasitic infection. The drug, called Daraprim, was acquired in August by Turing Pharmaceuticals, a start-up run by a former hedge fund manager. Turing immediately raised the price to…
Male suicide rates are now at their highest point in the UK since 2001. The Office for National Statistics shows that in the past thirty years, the balance between male/female suicide rates has shifted from 63% male in 1981 to 78% male in 2013. Men are killing themselves at a rate that noticeably outstrips women,…
No matter why a woman is seeing a doctor—be it for a headache or for a broken toe—she can reliably expect to be asked the date of her last period within the first minute of her consultation. Because of the confused looks I get when I reply with “May 2012,” I started prefacing my answer…
Scientists ‘delete’ HIV virus from human DNA for the first time Scientists used a DNA-snipping enzyme called Cas9 to cut out the virus The cell’s gene repair machinery then takes over, soldering the loose ends of the genome back together – resulting in a virus-free cell Process could also be a cure for other latent…
WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA researchers warned the Federal Aviation Administration nearly four years ago that air traffic controllers’ schedules lead to chronic fatigue and undermine safety. The FAA has kept the NASA study secret. Voluntary reports from a confidential aviation safety database run by NASA show that controllers are still complaining that they make dangerous…
Vibrating, Bluetooth-enabled, custom-fit and applicator friendly? Yep, the condom game has changed. The latest in condom innovations is the VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine, a latex female condom that comes equipped with a miniaturized bullet vibrator in its frame base. Sitting snugly against the clitoris, the vibrating condom, created by IXu, would be the first-ever condom designed…