ChatGPT of a multicolored spiral.
Drugs, Mental Health, Research

Can a psychedelic-induced mystical experience really improve your mental health?

Mystics once spent years meditating in caves in search of transcendence. Today, a growing number of people believe something similar can be reached in a single afternoon with the help of a psychedelic drug. Swallow a capsule of psilocybin or take a carefully supervised dose of LSD and you may encounter what many describe as one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives. Modern clinical trials appear to support this.

BPC 157.svg
Alternative Medicine, Drugs, Health Policy

How a Croatian Lab Spawned a Buzzy Peptide Now Popular With MAHA

BPC-157 is a kind of chemical called a peptide, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration treats it and some other peptides as unapproved drugs — going so far in 2023 as to explicitly prohibit compounding pharmacies from supplying BPC-157 to patients. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has more recently signaled a desire to loosen restrictions on experimental medical treatments, including unapproved peptides like BPC-157.

Photo of an infant with a measles rash.
Hepatitis, Measles, Politics, Vaccines

RFK Jr. guts the US childhood vaccine schedule despite its decades-long safety record

Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have said that they will continue recommending the full complement of childhood vaccines. Several states, including California, New York, Illinois and Washington state, will follow established guidelines rather than the new federal recommendations, creating a patchwork where children’s protection depends on where they live.

Photo of an infant with a measles rash.
Child Health, Infectious Disease, Measles, Vaccines

Canada loses its official ‘measles-free’ status – and the US will follow soon, as vaccination rates fall

The resurgence of measles in Canada after decades with very low numbers of cases is not an isolated problem. The U.S. has also had large outbreaks of measles this year, and it will likely soon lose its measles-free designation as well.

The loss of measles elimination status is a symptom of a deeper issue: declining trust in public messaging about science and health, which has led to decreased vaccination rates and growing vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases.