Infectious diseases killed Victorian children at alarming rates — their novels highlight the fragility of public health today

Modern medicine has enabled citizens of wealthy, industrialized nations to forget that children once routinely died in shocking numbers. Teaching 19th-century English literature, I regularly encounter gutting depictions of losing…

Cinnamon, spice and ‘everything nice’ – why lead-tainted cinnamon products have turned up on shelves, and what questions consumers should ask

Spices bring up feelings of comfort, cultural belonging and holidays. They can make our homes smell amazing and our food taste delicious. They can satisfy our cravings, expand our culinary…

Why are bullies so mean? A youth psychology expert explains what’s behind their harmful behavior

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]. Why are bullies so mean?…

Gun deaths among children and teens have soared – but there are ways to reverse the trend

Firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens following a huge decadelong rise. Analyses published on Oct. 5, 2023, by a research team in…

50 years after the Bunker Hill mine fire caused one of the largest lead-poisoning cases in US history, Idaho’s Silver Valley is still at risk

On Sept. 3, 1973, a fire swept through the baghouse of the Bunker Hill mine in Idaho’s Silver Valley. The building was designed to filter pollutants produced by smelting, the…

Fixing the global childhood obesity epidemic begins with making healthy choices the easier choices – and that requires new laws and policies

The global childhood obesity epidemic has exploded. Over the past four decades, the world has witnessed a tenfold increase in obesity in children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years…