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Health

In Bacon Therapy, the Meat Isn’t for You: It’s for the Bugs Eating Your Skin

Bacon therapy might sound like an awesome thing. It is not

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Measles Outbreaks Are on the Rise in the U.S.

The latest Brooklyn outbreaks originated from someone contracting the disease abroad, carrying it home and spreading it to unvaccinated persons

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What Happened to ‘Self-Harm Blogs’ After Tumblr Banned Them?

Censoring had no impact on the number of eating disorder inspired blogs, but it did change the makeup of those blogs

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Researchers Hope Freezing Cold Caps Can Prevent Chemo Hair Loss

Researchers are testing a cap so cold that it numbs the scalp during chemo to keep the hair from falling out

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Stress Is the Secret Ingredient That Makes Booze And Cigarettes a Perfect Match

Nicotine interferes with alcohol’s ability to produce a surge of pleasurable, stress-reducing dopamine in our brain, increasing our desire to keep drinking

A New Surgical Knife Identifies Cancerous Tissue As Doctors Are Cutting It Out

The knife cauterizes tissue and then analyzes the smoke produced by the burning flesh using mass spectrometry

Alzheimer’s Patients Often Self-Diagnose Years Before Doctors Do

In a study of 200 older people, researchers found that those who reported the most memory problems had the highest levels of beta amyloid in their brain

HIV-infected H9 T-cell Image

More HIV Patients Could Get Earlier Treatment

The World Health Organization issued HIV treatments that could impact the number of patients who receive drugs and other support for the condition

Which Barbie would you buy?

Barbie Gets a Real-World Makeover

Artist Nickolay Lamm created a 3D doll-sized model of a healthy, average 19-year-old American woman, then made her up like Barbie

Kids Will Eat Their Veggies If You Explain Why They Need To

Explaining to kids why veggies are good for them and making a show of just how tasty they can be are effective strategies for getting kids to eat greens

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Virus Hunters Are Testing Bats, Camels, Goats And Cats to Find a Deadly Illness’ Origin

Bats have been pinpointed as the most likely culprits behind MERS, though camels are a close second

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Dinosaur Extinctions, Titanic Deaths and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked our curators, they answered

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Pufferfish’s Deadly Toxin Could Help Chemo Patients

Researchers in New Jersey are working on an experimental drug that they hope will provide pain relief to cancer patients going through chemotherapy

A Slight Zap to the Brain Makes Everyone Appear More Attractive

After getting zapped, participants experienced a boost of dopamine - a chemical associated with how we judge people’s attractiveness

For Immediate In-the-Moment Happiness, Head Outdoors

Study participants were significantly and substantially happier when they were outside surrounded by green or in a natural habitat

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Your Compost Will Not Attract Vermin, Take Over Your Apartment or Produce Toxic Fumes

Recent arguments against composting don’t stand up to evidence or experience

Facebook Helped Kick Off a 20-Fold Registration Spike for Desperately Needed Organ Donors

Last May, Facebook began allowing users to post their organ donor status on their profile timelines

Alternative Medicine Is a $34 Billion Industry, But Only One-Third of the Treatments Have Been Tested

The traditional medicine industry is just as profit-driven as any other

Unless You Like Toxic Chemicals, Skip This Chinese Delicacy

Thirty Chinese preserved egg companies are being shut down for using toxic chemicals to expedite the egg-festering process

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Supreme Court Hands Big Loss to Big Pharma

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against big pharmaceutical companies, saying that the Federal Trade Commission could indeed sue companies who engaged in “pay to play” deals

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