Health

Are You Sure You Want Single Payer?

“Medicare for all” is a popular idea, but for Americans, transitioning to such a system would be difficult, to say the least.

• Olga Khazan
• 11:19 AM ET

Why It’s Better to Carry Weight on Your Head

People have done it for centuries. Maybe everyone still should. An Object Lesson.

• Pippa Biddle
• Aug 18, 2017

Why Do Humans Talk to Animals If They Can’t Understand?

The tendency to converse with dogs, cats, and hamsters ultimately says more about people than it does about their pets.

• Arianna Rebolini
• Aug 18, 2017

Constant Anxiety Won't Save the World

Spreading fear and worry about issues you care about on social media can lead to burnout rather than action.

• Julie Beck
• Aug 17, 2017

How Arsenic Is Poisoning a Nation

Despite simple solutions, a fourth of Bangladesh’s population is still exposed to drinking water contaminated with the deadly element.

• Sam Loewenberg
• Aug 17, 2017

At Last, a Big, Successful Trial of Probiotics

A large Indian study of 4,500 newborn babies found that the right microbes can prevent a life-threatening condition called sepsis.

• Ed Yong
• Aug 16, 2017

Breastfeeding at Any Cost?

Mothers who have difficulty nursing report being denied formula by some lactation specialists, possibly putting their babies at risk.

• Lindsey Hunter Lopez
• Aug 15, 2017

The Ethics Issue Blocking Organ Transplant Research

Doctors have a short window of time to experiment on brain-dead donors to improve procedures—and that's if they can get permission.

• Sarah Zhang
• Aug 15, 2017

The Next Chapter in a Viral Arms Race

A highly lethal disease that controlled Australia’s rabbit problem initially evolved to be milder—but has since rebounded into a newly nasty form.

• Ed Yong
• Aug 14, 2017

A Pharmaceutical CEO Breaks With Trump

Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier resigned this morning, citing “a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.” The president quickly attacked him.

• James Hamblin
• Aug 14, 2017

Why Scientists Can’t Agree on Whether It’s Unhealthy to Be Overweight

Some studies show being overweight leads to a greater risk of death; others show it doesn’t. Here’s what’s really going on.

• Olga Khazan
• Aug 14, 2017

The Average Guy Who Spent 6,003 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

Dan McLaughlin got famous for valuing hard practice over talent. Then he didn’t reach his goal.

• Stephen Phillips
• Aug 11, 2017

Cats Are Not Medicine

Pets don’t actually make people healthier, according to a new analysis. Ability to own a pet does.

• James Hamblin
• Aug 10, 2017

A Burdensome Regulation Screening Truck Drivers for a Sleep Disorder

The Trump administration has withdrawn a proposed requirement to screen drivers for a condition that causes them to spontaneously fall asleep.

• James Hamblin
• Aug 8, 2017

The Early Deaths of Appalachians

The region is falling behind the rest of America in life expectancy and infant mortality, a new study finds.

• Olga Khazan
• Aug 7, 2017

How Ice Cream Helped America at War

For decades, the military made sure soldiers had access to the treat—including spending $1 million on a floating ice-cream factory.

• Matt Siegel
• Aug 6, 2017

Can This Drug Cure Performance Anxiety?

Beta-blockers, used primarily as a treatment for heart disease, may help calm the nerves of anxious orators.

• Daniel McGinn
• Aug 4, 2017

The Uneven Health Toll of Sleep Deprivation

A lack of sleep might be contributing to racial disparities in diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, particularly for women.

• Olga Khazan
• Aug 3, 2017

The Designer Baby Era Is Not Upon Us

American scientists have now used CRISPR to edit human embryos, but that doesn’t mean we’re entering a Gattaca-style dystopia.

• Ed Yong
• Aug 2, 2017

If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef

With one dietary change, the U.S. could almost meet greenhouse-gas emission goals.

• James Hamblin
• Aug 2, 2017