From the duty to remember to the right to forget
What if we could modify or even completely erase painful, sad, or traumatic memories? While this concept currently belongs to the realm of science fiction, advances in science may soon make memory modification possible. Yet, experts remain divided on one fundamental question: could the potential benefits of altering memories outweigh the risks involved?
Under pressure
While for many the experience of pregnancy is full of excitement, for some first-time mothers, it can be a struggle with the unknown. For newlywed Shannon Toledo, her complicated health issues were adding another variable to the morning sickness, mood swings and the uncertainty with her job during the peak of Covid-19. A part-time martial arts instructor with a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo...
COVID-19: What if we received bad news in a void?
What if there was no good news to give us confidence that we could get through the troubles facing us now? What if there was no good news to assure us that we are cherished, loved and supported, that we are not alone?
We need water
The question of the origin and justification of the recommendation to drink at least eight glasses of water a day was first seriously examined in a scientific publication by Heinz Valtin.
COVID-19 complications, during and after the disease
It will soon be two years since the virus known as COVID-19 started to roam around the world. The sad toll of this disease—over 5 million victims worldwide—is still incomplete, because we are far from seeing an end to the pandemic. It has been the largest public health crisis in the last century.
What is in the COVID-19 vaccines and what do they leave in the body?
What is in the COVID-19 vaccines? What remains in our system after each type of vaccine, and for how long?
The fresh air advantage
It’s something many of us overlook, yet the research is showing that getting outside is better for us than we might imagine.
Get your brain in shape
For a long time we’ve exercised for our physique. But studies are showing more and more the mind-blowing benefits exercise has on our brains.
They call it poppy love
I have an acutely vivid memory which triggered this article. It was a wet day in London in the winter of 2002. My 145kg frame was squished in the front seat of a tiny blue Fiat Punto with two colleagues in the parking lot of a Burger King.
Illusory benefits at a high price
There is a widespread perception that dietary supplements are necessary for everyone because our diets are generally thought to be unable to provide everything we need to meet the demands of everyday life. It is also commonly assumed that taking various dietary supplements will help us live longer. Unfortunately, rigorous scientific evidence does not support these beliefs.
The happiest people in the pandemic
“How can we rejoice if we’re at war?” This was one of the questions that arose in my mind after reading a book comprised of testimonies of people who experienced World War II as children. Decades after this nightmare, and stricken by a crisis that casts its shadow over people and nations everywhere, the question remains: can we still be happy in times...
How lethal is COVID-19, and other (un)answered questions
There have now been over 12 million cases of COVID-19 infection globally, and half a million deaths. Researchers are constantly looking for new and better information to reduce the uncertainty around the virus.
COVID-19: Social distancing and the new ways to love amidst the pandemic
The epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch thinks that social distancing will have to continue, in one way or another, hopefully in milder forms and in correlation with other activities. Lipsitch is the author of a study suggesting that social distancing may be necessary, possibly intermittently, until 2022.
Why sleep belongs at the top of your priority list
“If you had asked me that morning, ‘Arianna, how are you?’ I would’ve said, ‘Fine.’ It was really the fact that being depleted, running on empty, had become the new normal for me.”
The question of cholesterol-containing foods
Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former US president, had a heart attack at the age of 64. Later, despite his cholesterol levels being within the normal range, he adopted a low-fat diet. However, despite the diet, he gained weight and his cholesterol levels rose, calling the effectiveness of the diet into question.


























