Can We Fix Our Healthcare System Without Starting From Scratch?
Dr. Amy Finkelstein, a professor of economics, has a plan that aims to please both sides of the political divide.
A Look at the Blood Diamonds Helping Fund Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Russia produces one-third of the world’s rough diamonds. The Russian government owns 33% of Alrosa, a Russian company that owns 90% of Russia’s diamonds. An expert discusses how a global embargo of Russian diamonds would send a strong economic message to its leaders.
Climate Change & National Security
The future of climate change impacts a lot more than our crops. Natural disasters and mass migrations of people threaten the health and safety of populations and governments around the world. Experts discuss how climate change creates economic, sociological, political, and military issues.
Building the Covid Vaccine
The vaccine for Covid-19 was developed with record speed while still following required safety protocols. A noted investigative reporter discusses the development process he uncovered for his exhaustive book and explains why the hundreds of interviews he did have reassured him that the vaccine is safe.
Bottled Water and Trust in Our Institutions
Bottled water sales have skyrocketed, in part because many people believe it is safer than tap water. Actually, bottled water faces few of the safety regulations that tap water does. The disconnect, according to a new study, comes from society’s pervasive distrust in all governmental institutions. The lead researcher discusses how restoring faith in water …
Planetary Health
The field encompasses more than environmental science and ecology, and helps to explain pandemics and other illnesses, mass migration, food consumption, and other public health factors.
Medical Notes: Week of October 18, 2020
The leaders of two of the nation’s leading science advisory groups are warning about what they call “Alarming political interference” in the government’s response to Covid-19. Then, one reason people oppose action on climate change is that it’s more expensive than doing nothing, at least in the short term. And finally… if you plan on having any trick or …
Opening America Again: When Is It Safe?
Many Americans are impatient with social distancing as a result of Covid-19 despite the success of the tactic. However, reopening the country too quickly could allow the virus to come roaring back, resulting in thousands more deaths and even more economic damage. Two experts explain how the rollout should happen to get us back to work safely.
The Effect of Public Policies on the Coronavirus Fight
The effectiveness of efforts to contain coronavirus often depend on governmental policies determined years or even decades ago that, at the time, had nothing to do with public health. A health policy expert discusses some of these policies and what they mean for coronavirus testing and treatment.
Bridging the Vax/Anti-Vax Divide
The debate over vaccination isn’t as civil as it once was, and leaves little room for common ground or even discussion. Pro-vaccine advocates often point to science showing safety and effectiveness, but as a noted medical humanities researcher explains, values common among anti-vaccine advocates lead them to reject this science, and both sides need to …
The Economics of Later School Start Times
Thirty years of research has shown that teenagers’ biology prevents them from getting to sleep much before 11pm, and with most high schools starting classes around 8 am, they are chronically sleep deprived. Experts discuss how students and even the economy would benefit and why many school districts still oppose the change.
Examining “Medicare For All”
Two Congressional plans, one from each side of the political spectrum, are competing to blow up the current healthcare system. Here experts examine one of them—the left’s bid to replace private insurers with a government-run single-payer plan labeled “Medicare for All.” Alternatives may include bolstering the Affordable Care Act, or getting rid of it …
