Since the early 1900s, Americans have argued about whether “natural agriculture” produces food that is healthier than conventional agriculture. Conventional foods are grown with petroleum based fertilizers, and are typically processed with added preservatives, while “natural foods” are grown with organic inputs and are processed with as few preservatives as possible. In the 1970s, this argument launched into a national movement, …
The greatest risk factor
Throughout recorded human history, millions of people have died from infectious diseases like tuberculosis, mumps, and measles. In many parts of the world, they still do. Public health scientists aim to improve human health by identifying risk factors for disease and setting up systems to reduce those risks. To achieve this, they study everything from systemic problems like unclean air and …
Research animals and livestock: Why are their lives weighed differently?
When I decided to take classes that would allow me to conduct research on animals, I was prepared for some ethical struggles. I have raised and slaughtered chickens, but had no problems with it since I knew that I had given them good lives. However, I was concerned that research animal facilities would be like Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs …
Energy, shmenergy
Like many other young idealists, I have been a strong believer in the potential of green energy to benefit society. As a younger man, I thought it would be possible to solve the world’s energy problems through renewable energy sources like wind and solar. After all, the sun and wind are so abundant! The initial investment is expensive, but on …
How to Explain Climate Change to Your Own Mother: The Science and The Scientists
What is climate science? Who are climate scientists? I promised an answer and I’m here to deliver, by dissecting how climate is measured and who gathers this climate data. However, to kick off this post, we will actually start with what climate is not, and that’s weather. Many misconceptions about climate science stem from the confusion between these two topics. …
The Drug Data Wars!
There is an inherent conflict between the cutting edge of scientific research and laws made by policy makers. The scientific process demands constant reviewing of evidence, thus appearing to be in a constant state of flux. By contrast, laws take longer to be updated or refuted [due to the natureof the political process], often rendering them incongruent with technological and …
An uncomfortable pause
Main photo from michaelnewnham.com Over the holidays, I was walking on the beach in California with my dad and brothers. As the Boehnke clan ambled across the beach, we ruminated about the public health implications of various scientific discoveries and policies, including the malaria vaccine, HIV vaccine, water quality improvements, and antibiotics (yes, I have a really, really exciting family). …
Approaching science with a critical eye
As a second year doctoral student, I have dabbled in the immense ocean of scientific research. Science is intimidating to approach, similar to any other field that relies heavily on jargon. I can claim no expertise in my abilities, but I have developed some strategies that help me cut through (or avoid) baffling and frightening titles, such as “Organozinc Chemistry: …
Life Cycle Assessments Part 2: Applications
Every day, I encounter blog posts and science articles about nifty new developments in the scientific community. While it’s exciting to see what is happening, we need to think critically about the conclusions reached in those papers. As scientists and non-scientists, it is important to ask: Do the results have the impact that the authors claim? Do the given results …
What’s the Problem, Science?
In my post last week about Strelitzia reginae (the Bird of Paradise plant), I wrote about how it had been initially mistaken as another plant, then later reclassified as a new species. One of the documents I found that supported this fact (and several others) was a collection of Dutch history with an extraordinary long title (the relevant part of …