Health

Microplastics are showing up everywhere—from dollar store toys and synthetic clothing to bottled water, toothbrushes and even human sperm. A new Ocean Conservancy survey finds that nearly 9 in 10 Americans are concerned about the health impacts of microplastics, while support is growing for tougher regulations. As scientists uncover plastic particles in the heart, placenta and reproductive organs, the question is no longer whether microplastics are affecting our lives, but how much damage they are already doing.

Could the humble contact lens become a sustainability breakthrough? Researchers in Korea have developed a self-healing hydrogel lens that repairs scratches with just one hour of UV light exposure. Beyond reducing waste from disposable contacts, the technology could one day help extend the life of solar panels, water filtration systems, and other plastic-based products.

Touch the body and ancient African traditions are causing the Ebola virus to spread.

Biohacker finds a way to remove microplastics from his sperm

Middle Eastern markets are bursting with the color and aromas of summer's soft fruits. This is the guide to getting the most out of June. 

One oncologist involved in the research, Dr. Rachna Shroff, said the results were so powerful that she cried in clinic.

Planning on being outdoors a lot this summer? We love time spent outdoors too, and expect to return home from picnics, hikes, and camping...

A recent study of graduating dental hygiene students in the United States suggests there is a knowledge gap. Researchers found that 42% of respondent students were unfamiliar with holistic dentistry, while 60% did not feel comfortable discussing it with patients. Yet nearly half believed the topic deserved greater attention in dental hygiene education.

Most people in the West have never heard of the Sidr tree. That's strange when you think about it. This tough, thorny desert tree has fed people, bees, birds, and camels for thousands of years. It appears in Islamic tradition. Its honey sells for astonishing prices.

Can Zara speak with their recently departed mother through fungal networks? In April my mom passed away and I attended her funeral as a relative...

In Cuba, guarapo is simply freshly-pressed sugar cane juice, and is drunk on the spot, without waiting for it to ferment. But in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Mexico, they homebrew guarapo from pineapples or oranges, and the fragrant fluid sits on the kitchen counter top to ferment until it's bubbly.

Abortion pills, often confused with Plan B (the morning-after pill), and historically referred to as RU486 (mifepristone), are part of a broader category of reproductive health medications that women have been using for decades. But they are not the same thing.

Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York offers a striking insight into how the environments we are born into can quietly shape our brains years later. By analyzing naturally shed baby teeth, the ones tucked under pillows for the tooth fairy, researchers have reconstructed a detailed timeline of exposure to environmental metals during pregnancy and early infancy.

According to the research, cancer risk was 68% higher in never-married men and 85% higher in never-married women.