In December 2024, the share of South Koreans ages 65 and older surpassed 20% for the first time, making it what demographers like us call a “super-aged society.” By August…
Category: Anthropology
Shingles can cause severe chronic pain – new research on how exosomes alter neurons offers pathways to treatment
Shingles can cause pain that is notoriously difficult to manage and can last for months to years for some people. The pain can be so severe that it causes a…
Portugal decriminalized drugs 25 years ago, but the real lesson is what it built around this policy
Nearly 70,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2025. While that is a decline from the nearly 108,000 deaths recorded in 2022, these grim figures distinguish the U.S. from…
Why so few older Americans get counseling – and how it could help
People are living longer, reshaping what it means to grow old. By the late 2060s, an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide will be age 60 or older – more than…
Why conflicting public health messages jeopardize public safety
If you’ve been following the dispute between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., you probably know that it centers on the deaths…
Are too many Americans taking antidepressants?
Drugs for treating depression are among the most prescribed category of medications in the U.S. – 1 in 6 American adults take them. Some health researchers and advocates have raised…
What we remember when we remember 9/11
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you learned of the September 11 terrorist attacks that occurred 25 years ago? Do you remember what you…
I’m a pediatrician in Michigan who created Rx Kids, one of the nation’s largest anti‑poverty programs – here’s what I’ve learned about how medical schools can improve community health
As a pediatrician at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Flint, Michigan, I perform well-child checks, treat asthma and discuss nutrition with families. I prescribe medicine and arrange…
People with Tourette syndrome, like Billie Eilish, use everything in their power to suppress tics – this exhausting process is key to treatment
Imagine trying not to blink, resisting the urge to sneeze or refusing to scratch an intense itch. For a short time, you can probably succeed, but the effort becomes increasingly…
Could you survive The Oregon Trail? An emergency medicine doctor offers tips on how to not die in the great outdoors
If you grew up in the United States in the 1980s or ’90s, chances are you remember The Oregon Trail. For many like me, it was our first computer game…
