For this Seventh Anniversary post, we will be looking at a very important piece of copper equipment. Approximately 10% of American women of childbearing age use “long-acting reversible contraceptives,” including IUDs. While the copper (non-hormonal) kind is less common, it’s the kind I’ve had for almost a decade. I even participated in a clinical study to test a smaller “more comfortable” model for FDA approval.
A friend recently warned me against using my electric blanket. While there are established risks (including burns and fires), she was talking about health conditions that could be caused by electromagnetic fields. Hypothesizing about health impacts from environmental exposures can walk a fine line between conscientious public health research and pseudoscience. The difference between the two lies in what we do with answers we get.
Giving up animal products entirely may not be a feasible option for many of us, but more people are eating less meat and cheese – and really making it count when they do. While I may never be a full vegan, it is important to me that I try to match my behaviors to my values, and that means eating less cheese more often.
For years I’ve incorrectly believed that sheep cheese has a lower carbon footprint than cow cheese because sheep emit far less methane than cows. They also produce far less milk, which balances the scales. In reality, cheese has an extremely high carbon footprint, higher than some meats. For that reason, it seemed like time to reevaluate whether my actions are still aligned with my values.
There are clear benefits to organic gardening, but are there situations in which an organic solution can do more harm than the chemical alternative? As much as I hate to say it, there may be some grey area when it comes to the best course of action for eradicating my tenacious thistle. I found a safer alternative to glyphosate, though safer doesn’t mean safe.
While there is still very much we don’t know about the impacts of cannabis on human health, there are some clear indications of health benefits in specific situations. However, the questions we ask of the world are inherently influenced by our biases. What if some of the impacts we see on brain activity are not “bad” but simply a “different” way of using our brains?
The human race has used cannabis for 5,000 years. But for the last (almost) 100, it has been vilified in the United States as a “gateway drug” that will “fry your brain.” Federal prohibitions have limited opportunities for the scientific community to study the benefits (not just the harms) of this plant, particularly when it comes to stress reduction and a healthier Endocannabinoid System.
The Endocannabinoid System is present in all mammals and regulates bodily functions in the face of stressors. Strangely, despite its critical importance to our existence, we’ve only known about it for a few decades. We do know that it can become less effective in the face of chronic stress or major trauma, and that we can support its function with healthy diet, exercise, and cannabis.
I had hoped my first bout with COVID-19 (during 2024’s “FLiRT” variants) would be my last. Unfortunately, 2025’s “Nimbus” caught up with me, landing me on the couch for many hours with nothing to do but research my adversary. It is more important than ever that we understand these increasingly transmissible COVID-19 variants, especially in an age of decreasingly reliable information online.
Every homeowner has to battle termites at one point or another, in one way or another. The only thing notable about our situation is the stubborn public health professional and organic gardener who refuses to allow bee-killing pesticides on her property. After some research and a couple informed conversations, we revisited a method we tried several years ago — with better results after following the instructions.