The old saying goes “an elephant never forgets.” But elephants not only have incredible memories, as new research has now revealed a surprising depth to the elephant psyche. Proving they are closer to humans psychologically than we ever previously thought. Don’t believe it? Maybe you will after you hear about the baby elephant at Thailand’s...
News + Discoveries
Antibiotics are widely used to treat bacterial infections and are often considered lifesaving medications. However, a recent study suggests that some commonly used antibiotics may have unintended consequences, particularly in the sickest patients. The study, conducted by Robert Dickson, M.D., and his team, investigated the differences in patient mortality between the usage of two antibiotics:...
If your entire community was at risk of breathing in cancer-causing chemicals every day, you’d think that your government would do something to stop it – and also tell you about it. This is not what has been happening in Texas. Recent findings reveal that high amounts of cancer-causing material, benzene, have been detected in...
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is a problem seemingly on the rise in North America. Learning more about how we can prevent its onset are crucial, as there is still no cure. Recent warnings from neuroscientists highlight a concerning revelation – two common habits may significantly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The...
Most people fear death and prefer not to think about how they might die. But some people are forced to live while staring death in the face. Take, for instance, people in hospice care (or end-of-life care) who are suffering from advanced incurable illnesses and other problems leading to their imminent death. You may expect...
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published September 16, 2016, and has since been updated. Any day where a new study shows a potential cure for cancer is a good day, and scientists in Europe may have found a breakthrough for breast cancer. The most common cancer in women, around 1 in 8 American women...
Ruby Kate Chitsey was feeling bored at a nursing home near Harrison, Arkansans. The eleven-year-old spends much of her summers there since her mother, Amanda Milford Chitsey, is a nurse practitioner, and besides, Ruby Kate likes chatting with the elderly in need of a kind, listening ear. One that particularly dull day, she approached a...
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in September 2019 and has since been updated.Heartburn medications, called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), may increase the risk of early death, according to research [1]. Over-the-counter (OTC), as well as prescription medications for heartburn, may increase the risk of heart disease, stomach cancer, and kidney dysfunction, among other...
So you’ve made the decision to quit drinking dairy milk. Maybe it’s because you have trouble digesting it, it bloats you or gives you gas, you find you have an acne flare-up every time you drink it, or perhaps your reasoning is environmental or ethical. Whatever your reasoning is, there is no doubt that you...
All cells need glucose, aka sugar, to survive – including cancer cells, right? That’s what scientists used to think, that is until they took a deep dive into how cancer cells really spread throughout the body so easily. Our understanding of cancer biology and its ability to spread within the human body has now taken...
Castoreum is a natural flavoring that can be used in vanilla or strawberry-flavored foods. But it’s not a lab-made creation, neither is it a unique-sounding plant. It’s the name of an excretion from the anal castor sacs of beavers. This substance has been used for centuries in medicines and soaps in addition to food. But...
A teenager from Oklahoma was electrocuted and nearly killed by his phone charger. Sixteen-year-old Rayce Ogdahl was lying in bed wearing his cross necklace when it grazed an exposed prong of a plug. The metal chain seared in his neck and caused second, third and fourth-degree burns. His mother, Danielle Davis, 38, is trying to...