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Is a Nuclear Explosion Coming Your Way?
You probably saw earlier this week that the The United Nations chief warned that “humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.” Notice he didn’t say explosions, he didn’t say destruction, he said annihilation. He went on to mention the obvious tinderboxes, the continuing nuclear activity in the Mideast and Asia, and […]
Congressional Approval is at 20%. Shockingly high.
Have you seen the latest political poll? I read recently that 20% of respondents (as of June 2022) approve of the way congress is handling its job (see here). Are you as shocked as I am? Do you know anyone who thinks congress is doing its job well? Can you guess who those one-out-of-every-fives might […]
Exorbitant Costs of Our Medical Care
If you were around for a good part of the last century, you probably have noticed what I have, the exorbitant costs of medical care, not to mention other unwelcome changes, here in the USA. Call a physician’s office these days and you’re likely to get a recording, not an answer by a live human. […]
Urolithin A Effectively Tames Inflammation
A burgeoning flood of laboratory data, along with emerging studies on human subjects, indicate that Urolithin A effectively tames inflammation. Importantly, this molecule also stimulates mitophagy (See here), and it is emerging as a potentially important therapeutic agent. The next two paragraphs, taken from recent scientific review articles, lay out the direction this specific branch […]
The Awesome Science of Anti-Aging: An Introductory Peek
Fountains of youth and magic elixirs have been touted for millennia, each illusion tantalizing many, and disappointing all. That era has ended, replaced by the awesome science of anti-aging. New strategies are evolving to improve and prolong the function of practically every part of the body, organs like the heart, brain, kidney, lung, and more. […]
E. B. White on War. A Historical Parallel?
Today, May 9th, is Victory Day in Russia (1) as it celebrates the surrender of Germany in WWII. And Russia is at war again today. An early column by E. B. White may provide an historical parallel. Decades ago E. B. White wrote in The New Yorker, The long vigil at the radio is beginning […]
What Scares You More? Global Warming or Nuclear Winter?
Global warming and nuclear winter are two different, and in some ways contrasting, risks to the lives of the nearly 8 billion humans living on this planet. My last few posts have focused on what we can do individually to live healthier and longer lives (See 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), and I’ll get […]
Would Restricting Calories Improve Your Health? Would Fasting? Let’s See.
Do we benefit by restricting calories? As I’ve mentioned before (see here), scientists for years have known that a calorie-restricted diet, or simply eating less, improves the health and extends the lives of laboratory species ranging from yeast cells to primates. But what about you and me? If we limited our intake of calories, would […]
Healthful Effects From Resveratrol and Pterostilbene
In my last post, I described some of the healthful effects produced by resveratrol, a chemical found in grapes, blueberries, peanuts, and cocoa powder, among other food sources. Not surprisingly, it also is available in differing forms from numerous commercial sources. Resveratrol has a chemical cousin named pterostilbene, which I’ll mention below. Resveratrol seemingly is […]
Resveratrol, a Brief History, Pro and Con
Resveratrol is a highly touted compound that has multiple health benefits, but it also has characteristics that seem to limit its effectiveness. Here I offer a condensed account of this intriguing chemical. The story begins almost a century ago, with the discovery in1935, that calorie restriction can increase […]
