ACSH Science Dispatch

Have we discovered the ideal source of energy? A recent study in Nature describes a newly synthesized chemical called hexanitrogen. Containing no carbon, it produces zero greenhouse emissions and decomposes into pure nitrogen. But...there's a catch. Is this a groundbreaking rocket fuel, or just cool chemistry that will be confined to the laboratory? Let's discuss.

Contrary to popular belief, osteoarthritis may not just be the result of wear and tear accrued over the course of a long life. New evidence points to a deeper evolutionary explanation for why our joints ache in old age. Let's take a look.

A team of unsuspecting lawyers asked us to help promote their litigation targeting baby food makers, falsely alleging their products contain harmful levels of heavy metals. The poor souls running this firm didn't realize what ACSH does. Let's take a close look at their claims about food safety and reassure parents that their kids aren't in harm's way.

Kidney stones are excruciatingly miserable, causing intense, unrelenting pain—often described as worse than childbirth. These hard mineral deposits form in the kidneys and can lodge in the urinary tract, causing sharp, stabbing sensations in the back or abdomen. Here's perhaps the worse chemistry lesson you'll ever learn.

Despite dramatically increasing the national debt, the Trump Administration has made controversial cuts to federal funding for research, including critical areas like vaccine development and disease prevention. Many scientists warn that these reductions threaten public health advancements and technological innovation. Have these cuts crossed a line? Let’s take a look.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are transforming weight loss and diabetes management. But no good deed goes unpunished, and the manufacturers of these medicines now face a wave of lawsuits, with plaintiffs claiming they weren't warned about rare but sometimes serious side effects. Is this litigation driven by solid evidence, or are the tort lawyers out for yet another unearned payday? Let's take...

Science thrives on challenge, not conformity. Many scientists would agree with that statement, yet they often equate truth with expert consensus, at least when talking to the public. Since scientific disputes are really settled by evidence and not a show of hands, perhaps it's time for experts to abandon consensus and focus on a more accurate concept—convergence.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed systemic weaknesses in our disaster preparedness infrastructure. Despite prior warnings, politics and apathy nurtured a response system that prioritized appearances—e.g., a national stockpile of rotting N-95 masks—over effective interventions. Perverse incentives encouraged officials to drag their feet when time was short, a failure leading to poor coordination and re...

The perennial vegan worrywarts at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) have once again warned that grilled hot dogs increase colorectal cancer risk. But this potential harm is wildly overstated—as it has been since it first emerged from the dark recesses of nutritional epidemiology many years ago. Your absolute risk of colorectal cancer remains quite low, and the occasional ballpar...

Nobody denies that science is plagued by an epidemic of fraudulent and politicized research, nor that it wastes billions of taxpayer dollars. But is the problem severe enough to justify completely eliminating public funding for scientific research? Let's take a look.

"Sugar is addictive." It's a widespread, well-researched claim—and it's probably false. The assertion oversimplifies complex eating behaviors driven by an even more complicated cluster of influences. While sugar intake can stimulate reward pathways in the brain similar to drugs, it lacks several key characteristics of true addiction, leading to a less satisfying but more accurate...

Can eating well pave the way to healthier, more vibrant golden years? The answer is "maybe," based on a recent study surveying how diet affects disease risk as we age. Let's break down the paper's results.

Organic food is a $52 billion enterprise, fueled by wealthy consumers convinced they're avoiding the alleged harms endemic in "industrial agriculture." Is there any science behind that belief, or is it just high-priced marketing hype? Let's take a closer look.

A resurgence of heroin in the black market might be contributing to a significant drop in fentanyl-related overdose deaths, with provisional CDC data showing a 24% decline in overall U.S. overdose deaths by September 2024. Could this shift, alongside harm reduction efforts like increased naloxone distribution, be reducing fatalities? Let's take a look.

Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has controversially promoted vitamin A as a treatment for measles, despite research showing it can be toxic in high doses and is no substitute for vaccination. Kennedy's view is particularly ironic given his criticism of genetically engineered Golden Rice, a crop designed to boost...vitamin A levels in developing countries.

The rapid expansion of legalized sports betting in the US has fueled a significant increase in gambling addiction, with calls to helplines surging and treatment providers overwhelmed by demand. While the industry generates substantial revenue, it also imposes hidden costs on society, including financial ruin, mental health problems and strained public resources. Now the question is, can we bring t...

Gatorade claims its alkaline water will hydrate you into peak performance, but it's just pricey H2O bolstered by clever marketing. Save yourself a few bucks and drink the stuff from the tap instead.

During the recent battle over FDA's decision ban the use of Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, few commentators answered a fundamental question: why do food makers use dyes in the first place? The press framed the answer as a corporate ploy to sell more candy, but the story's a bit more complicated than that. Let's take a closer look.

With prescription opioid overdoses plummeting and no more pharma companies to sue, America's drug warriors are running out of bogeymen to justify their crusade against pain killers. The solution? Redefine responsible opioid use as a disorder and turn millions of chronic pain patients into addicts—at least on paper.

The medical journal The Lancet recently published a detailed consensus statement classifying obesity as a disease. The statement has engendered both widespread support and criticism. Did the expert panel make the right call? Let's take a closer look.

USDA's Thrifty Food Plan aims to help low-income Americans eat well without breaking their modest budgets. It's an altruistic attempt to promote public health. But this bureaucratic project to promote nutrition lacks what so many other government programs do: the ability to incentivize healthy living at scale.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently published a study perpetuating the myth that opioid prescriptions launched the ongoing drug overdose epidemic. Two ACSH experts took the clinic to task for sloppy data analysis designed to justify a predetermined conclusion about the risks of painkillers. Let's take a closer look. Article discussed : Opioid Bogeymen: ACSH Advisor Takes Mayo Clinic to Task, f...

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to control pain. They are typically quite effective and safe to use as directed. But many people can't rely on them owing to their sometimes serious side effects—including an increased risk of heart attack. In short, NSAIDs are essential drugs with real limitations. Let's take a look at the most popular of these medicines. Article disc...

Despite significant decreases in cholesterol numbers, cardiovascular disease rates in the US have hit a standstill. Can we restart the decline, or have we reached the limits of our ability to combat this persistent condition? Story discussed: Chasing Cholesterol

A trucker who took CBD oil for pain control was abruptly fired after failing a drug test that found THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, in his system. Although the product was marketed as THC free–a claim the man verified with the manufacturer–it was not and federal law mandated his termination. It's yet another case of awful drug laws and even worse science harming good people. S...