Reforming Federal Laws that Slow Marijuana Research
Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, making it difficult for researchers to study, and difficult to understand how it may help or harm our health. A recently passed bill is aimed at making marijuana research easier to conduct,…
Climate Change Is Already Impacting Our Health
Massive storms, flooding, extreme heat, droughts, air pollution, increased rates of disease, changes to our food and water… global warming, and the changes to climate that come with it, are increasing human health risks. Our physical and mental health both…
A Fentanyl Vaccine Shows Promise
Fentanyl is many times more potent than heroin or morphine, and is responsible for a lot of overdose deaths. Recent news reports have covered a potential fentanyl vaccine – how does that work, and how far are we from human…
Beauty Products, Hair Chemicals, and Uterine Cancer
There’s a lot of buzz around beauty products and how the chemicals in them may affect hormones, and thus contribute to the development of certain cancers. How much weight should we give to studies that report these associations? Related HCT…
Are Video Games GOOD for Kids?
Many people like to argue about whether video games cause violence, but what about evidence for the positive effects games might have? The research is out there, so what do we think about it? Related HCT episodes: Video Games Don’t…
Does Cold Weather Cause Colds?
Did your parents ever tell you to put your coat on before going outside so you didn’t catch a cold? I’m sure they meant well, but did all those efforts on their part actually save you some sniffles? Let’s ask…
Is Marijuana Safe During Pregnancy?
Marijuana is the most commonly used recreational drug among pregnant people, and there are a lot of clashing opinions about whether or not it’s safe. But what do the data say? Today we dive into the studies about marijuana use…
Smartphones, Early Puberty, and Bad, Scary Headlines
A recent headline sounded the alarm about a study that found that smartphone use was related to the early onset of puberty in children. This headline was a real triple threat: fear of technology, children under threat, and sexualization of…
Is St. John’s Wort an Effective Treatment for Depression?
This video was sponsored by Giving What We Can. Head to to figure out how to get the most impact for your donation. St. John’s Wort has been used for centuries as a treatment for a wide variety of ailments.…
Does Coffee Increase Lifespan? The Problem with Observational Studies
A 2022 observational study published by Harvard Health claimed that drinking coffee could significantly lower your risk of dying. Is that true? Wasn’t there a study in recent memory claiming that coffee would give you cancer? Well, it turns out…