“Poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality: The world faces many great and terrifying problems. It is these large problems that our work at Our World in Data focuses on. Thanks to the work of thousands of researchers around the world who dedicate their lives to it, we often have a good… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Health Care
Public Trust in Scientists and Views on Their Role in Policymaking
“A majority of Americans say they have confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. Confidence ratings have moved slightly higher in the last year, marking a shift away from the decline in trust seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new Pew Research Center survey of 9,593 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 21-27, 2024,… Continue Reading
Genetic Discrimination Is Coming for Us All
The Atlantic: [unpaywalled] “Insurers are refusing to cover Americans whose DNA reveals health risks. It’s perfectly legal…Studies have shown that people seek out additional insurance when they have increased genetic odds of becoming ill or dying. “Life insurers carefully evaluate each applicant’s health, determining premiums and coverage based on life expectancy,” Jan Graeber, a senior… Continue Reading
GAO Congressional and Presidential Transition Resources
[On November 5, 2024] Americans voted for members of the 119th Congress and a new president. Representatives and senators will be sworn in on Friday, January 3. As they take office, our nation faces many significant challenges—including those that threaten national security, financial stability, public health, and more. Our work here at GAO highlights some… Continue Reading
RFK Jr. Healthcare Claims Depository
NewsGuard’s Reality Check – RFK Jr. Healthcare Claims Depository – Explore the provably false health-related claims promoted by Kennedy and his anti-vaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense Overview – This depository documents the provably false health-related claims promoted by Kennedy and his Children’s Health Defense anti-vaccine nonprofit. Provably False Claims – NewsGuard has identified 90 false… Continue Reading
A Soft Murmur
Ambient sounds to wash away distraction by Gabiel Brady. I created A Soft Murmur for myself. I like to work in public spaces like libraries and coffee shops, but they can be noisy and distracting. Listening to ambient helps me focus, and I like being able to mix different sounds together to match the environment… Continue Reading
Election Grief Is Real. Here’s How to Cope
Scientific American [unpaywalled]: “…Is it possible to cultivate more resilience to this kind of grief in the future? Yes. Increase your tolerance for ambiguity and keep increasing your tolerance for uncertainty. We hate uncertainty in this culture. There is, in fact, a tolerance for ambiguity scale. It was born out of a scale now called… Continue Reading
Adult Immunization Schedule
CDC: Recommendations for Ages 19 Years or Older, United States, 2024. Purpose – Health care providers should use the adult immunization schedule and related resources to ensure individuals stay up-to-date on recommended vaccines. Continue Reading
e-Patients White Paper
“The whitepaper, e-Patients: How they can help us heal health care, authored by the late Tom Ferguson, MD, is the foundation for the founding of the Society for Participatory Medicine (SPM). After his 15 year battle with multiple myeloma ended in 2006, the group of advisors Doc Tom had assembled decided to ensure that his… Continue Reading
Freedom to Read Advocates Notch a Legal Victory in Alaska
Publisher’s Weekly: “After a favorable legal ruling in August, freedom to read advocates in Alaska have scored a significant victory in court over would-be book banners. In an October 31 filing, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Alaska agreed to pay $89,000 to settle claims that the district improperly removed dozens of books, including several… Continue Reading
Managing Election Stress
Your Local Epidemiologist Managing Election Stress 5 Therapists Share How They Plan to Manage Election Day Stress Managing Stress Related to Political Change 8 Ways to Cope with Election Anxiety Navigating Conversations Managing Conversations When You Disagree Politically Are political disagreements stressing you out? Here are tips to bridge the divide. Self-Care Strategies Take Good… Continue Reading
In Praise of Hearing Aids
Slate – unpaywalled: Millions of Americans who could benefit from them don’t use them. Why not? – “One morning this past March, I stirred from slumber convinced that someone had snuck in overnight and packed my ear with Jell-O. Still drowsy, I registered that the fullness seemed to extend horizontally toward the window, some six… Continue Reading
