American Council on Science and Health

Weight-Loss Surgery Improves Health of Some Diabetics - Weight-loss surgery has been shown to help control weight and improve metabolic parameters among obese diabetics. This new study, which produced very impressive results, shows the actual degree of improvement of various types of surgery.

Counter-Point: Activists Operate By Outrage, Not Fear - It is certainly true that activists and websites preying on their audiences’ lack of scientific literacy often exploit that ignorance and engage in fear-mongering, but this does not account for their total success. Activists use two other emotions to get positive outcomes for their causes: outrage and empowerment.

Organic Farming Kills Bees? Study Fails to Show This - AWe constantly debunk bad studies that are anti-chemical, anti-GMO, pro-organic, etc.  Why? Because they are either poorly done, and/or they’re complete garbage.  This time, there’s a study which apparently condemns organic farming, which — despite the fictitious concept and name — isn’t what it seems to be. Chemicals are used in organic farming, just different ones than are used in conventional farming.  But fair is fair, so when a cautionary “anti-organic” farming paper that is full of flaws comes out, it’s fair game. (Good luck using “fair” more times in one sentence.)  One just did. A paper entitled “Acute Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of Botanical Insecticides to Honey Bees” was just published in the Journal of Insect Science.  Like many other papers of questionable value — or ones where the press just get’s it wrong — the headlines, if taken at face value, are misleading.
FDA-Approved Test for Meningitis is a Home Run - The FDA approved a DNA screening test of cerebrospinal fluid that can tell a physician in under an hour if a patient has viral or bacterial meningitis. If you are familiar with the differences between these two types -- one of which can be fatal -- you know this is a big deal.

Golden Rice Moves Closer to Reality in Asia - An agency in Bangladesh announced that life-saving Golden Rice has passed trials in contained facilities and will soon move on to open-field tests. If all goes well, the crop will finally be approved for farmers to grow. It's been a long fight to receive approval, but success now appears to be at hand.