Seems the notion that genetically speaking boys are better than girls in math is a myth. Stanford biologist Robert Sapolsky, PhD, writes in a column …
Tag: In the News
An insider's view of health care reform
Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, says in a recent Q&A that inaction on health care reform is simply not an …
The NIH's Francis Collins' to do list
Francis Collins has been the director of the NIH for nearly two months. Yet he’s already punched a number of his accomplishments on a twenty …
Greider on women in science
I wrote below about the unusual number of women recognized during the 2009 Nobel Prizes. Since then, another woman , Elinor Ostrom, PhD, shared the …
Girl Power – to the Nobels, and beyond!
Our office has a specific 'crisis plan' to deal with the annual announcements of the Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine (one category), and in …
The increasing power of the placebo
Steve Silberman has written a fascinating article for Wired about the increasing power of the placebo effect and its potential effect on the pharmaceutical industry. …
Not such a bad mutation
The New York Times is reporting that UCSF scientists have identified a tie between a genetic mutation and the need for less sleep. The research …
Americans increasingly browsing before breakfast
According to an article in the New York Times yesterday, many Americans now make the Internet their first stop of the morning: After six to …
"BPA-free" baby bottles aren't really?
I'm the proud auntie of an adorable baby boy. Last spring, when my little nephew hadn't quite hatched yet, I spent a Saturday afternoon with …
Death recalls struggle over intern work hours
I don't usually read obituaries but a recent one in the New York Times caught my eye. It was for Sidney Zion, a prosecutor, lawyer …
Obama tries the da Vinci surgical robot
According to the White House blog, President Obama tried out the Da Vinci surgical robot during a visit to the Cleveland Clinic last week. The …
Risk vs. benefit: Roche pulls Accutane
Drug manufacturer Roche announced yesterday (6/09/09) that for financial reasons it will stop marketing Accutane, a medication for treating severe acne. Roche's patent on the …
Getting a good night's sleep
You're not likely to get well at the hospital if you can't sleep. A new program at Stanford Hospital & Clinics recognizes this fundamental idea …
Settlement reached in New York hospital death
A June 2008 videotape of Esmin Elizabeth Green lying on the floor of the psychiatric emergency room in Brooklyn's Kings County Hospital provoked outrage among …
I miss PB&J
I don't consider myself a terribly cautious person when it comes to food. Sure, I've been known to throw out a few dairy products after …