Health

Penetrative intercourse tends to dominate many people's understandings of sexual activity. However, the older men and women in this study described that their evolving definitions of sex, which now included more physical intimacy, was more pleasurable and satisfying than their previous, narrow definitions and experiences. … [Read more...] about The Best (Sex) Is Yet to Come?

Ayahuasca can be dangerous, as it might increase the risk of having a manic episode in people with bipolar disorder or a family history of the disorder. And, excessive use can lead to serotonin syndrome, especially when used in conjunction with SSRIs. A few deaths due to the consumption of Ayahuasca have also been reported. These deaths may have been due to unscreened pre-existing heart conditions; interactions with other drugs, such as antidepressants, recreational drugs, caffeine, or nicotine; or the result of improper use. … [Read more...] about Ayahuasca and Its Potential to Treat PTSD

the rise of “open access” journals the creation of online repositories for unpublished manuscripts Open access at its most fundamental simply means that nobody should have to pay to read the results of scientific studies. The general rationale is that if my tax dollars paid for the grant, I should be able to see the results without having to have a journal subscription or use my credit card number to get past a paywall on a website. Furthermore, by allowing anyone to access the paper you are leveling the playing field so that all researchers can compete equally, regardless of the budget of their university library. Importantly, in an effort to increase the availability of critical new data, many scientific journals that are not normally open access have made COVID-19 research papers freely available. … [Read more...] about How to Best Approach COVID-19 Research

This may seem like a somewhat cold-blooded calculation, but it is, in a sense, the kind of balancing act our leaders, and we as a society, are making right now. The suicidal, given the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicidality, tend not to stand up for themselves, and fight their corner as robustly as others affected by governments' new restrictions. … [Read more...] about Study: Some May Seek to Die by Suicide from COVID-19

What security theater can do is distract us from our anxiety and worry, from the unknown and unpredictable nature of this scary new world. Thus, although these things might reduce our anxiety, we need to ask whether they demonstrably decrease risk. Furthermore, if these things divert attention and resources from the simple public health measures we all know work, and provide a false sense of security, they could actually do more harm than good. … [Read more...] about COVID-19 and Security Theater