Raw milk health risks significantly outweigh any potential benefits − food scientists and nutritionists explain why

Despite an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows, the popularity of raw milk has only risen. Advocates claim raw milk has superior health benefits over pasteurized milk. There…

EPA has lowered the screening level for lead in soil – here’s what that could mean for households across the US

As spring phases into summer across the U.S., kids are spending more time outdoors. Playing outside is healthy in all kinds of ways, but it also poses some risks. One…

Philly has highest STI rates in the country – improving sex ed in schools and access to at-home testing could lower rates

Philadelphia ranks No. 1 among U.S. cities for new sexually transmitted infections – STIs – according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is…

Is Earth really getting too hot for people to survive? A scientist explains extreme heat and the role of climate change

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected]. My parents said the planet…

Abortion bans are changing what it means to be young in America

Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of identity formation, when young people figure out who they are and who they want to be. One of the ways they do…

Oral nicotine pouches deliver lower levels of toxic substances than smoking – but that doesn’t mean they’re safe

Oral nicotine pouches – like Zyn and Velo in the U.S. – appear to be less toxic than cigarettes and deliver comparable levels of nicotine. This makes them an alternative…

Calls to US poison centers spiked after ‘magic mushrooms’ were decriminalized

Calls to poison control centers spiked across the U.S. for adolescents and young adults exposed to the hallucinogen psilocybin, according to our analysis of data from 55 U.S. poison centers…

Supreme Court unanimously concludes that anti-abortion groups have no standing to challenge access to mifepristone – but the drug likely faces more court challenges

On June 13, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously decided to uphold access to mifepristone, one of two pills used in medication abortion. Mifepristone has long been…

A microbiologist explains how to avoid getting sick at the barbecue, in the pool or on the trail

As flowers bloom and temperatures climb, many are eager to get back outside. But while the Sun may be shining, there is a dark side that can make the great…

PFAS are toxic ‘forever chemicals’ that linger in our air, water, soil and bodies – here’s how to keep them out of your drinking water

Close to half of America’s tap water contains PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These “forever chemicals” are in thousands of products, from clothing and cosmetics to cleaning products, and…