The Conversation

On the morning news, you see the weather forecast is for high heat, and there is an “excessive heat watch” for later in the week. You were hoping the weather would cool down, but yet another heat wave is threatening human health and increasing the chance of wildfires. On top of these warm days and […]

During the long seafaring voyages of the 15th and 16th centuries, a period known as the Age of Discovery, sailors reported experiencing visions of sublime foods and verdant fields. The discovery that these were nothing more than hallucinations after months at sea was agonizing. Some sailors wept in longing; others threw themselves overboard. The cure […]

Virtual health care was adopted more widely during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people accessing health-care providers remotely. However, easy and convenient access to technology means some people may choose to bypass health care and consult Dr. Google directly, with online self-diagnosis. Here is a common scenario: picture someone sitting at home, when suddenly their […]

In many offices (not to mention on Zoom, Teams and Slack), employees and managers alike are whispering about the “great resignation”. The UK saw a sharp rise in people quitting their jobs in 2021, and one fifth of UK workers still say they plan to resign in the next year in search of greater job […]

After a long delay, the Food and Drug Administration issued final regulations Aug. 16, 2022, for over-the-counter hearing aids. The final rule is effective 60 days from its publication, meaning that consumers could see OTC hearing aids hitting the shelves of community pharmacies nationwide by October 2022. We are a pharmacist and audiologist who study […]

Imagine you’ve just completed a tough upper-body workout. Your muscles feel a bit tired, but all in all you’re able to go about the rest of your day just fine. The next morning, you wake up and realize the back of your shoulder blade feels stiff. When you rub your shoulder muscles, it feels like […]