The question we’re still somehow debating — Masks are, for many, one of the most contentious issues of the pandemic. While in theory they are just small scraps of fabric that you wear on your face, for many masks have become a symbol of either the wish to protect people from COVID-19 or a refutation of the…

Formula is overhyped to sell more product, but the benefits of breastfeeding may also be oversold — Note: this is part two, you can find part one which looks at the dodgy claims of formula manufacturers here. In part one of this short series, I looked at formula, and we learned that basically every claim made on the packaging of a formula tin was either unproven or…

Why most claims on baby formula are unsupported or outright false — Note: this is part one. You can find part two, which looks at the claims about the benefits of breastfeeding here. If there’s one thing that’s contentious online, it’s talking about what we feed infants. There are a group of about five topics that most science writers steer clear of…

The complexity of epidemiological research — As a decent home cook, I love my gas stove. I have previously had electric burners, and while the better induction cooktops are pretty great, there’s nothing quite like a gas burner to really give you a feeling of immediate control over the temperature of your food. So I was…

Looking into the details of a recent report showing lead and cadmium in dark chocolate — Dark chocolate is a fascinating beast. It is, at the same time, both an indulgent, rich treat, and a health food that people will argue is hugely beneficial to your life. While it certainly has its detractors — my two-year-old niece is not a fan — a sinfully rich bar…

An ode to a troubled website — I first created a Twitter account in 2015. It was already a pretty big place to be, and I thought it would be good for my scientific career and my blog to have a presence on the website. As a millenial who was growing up as social media became a…

Why peer-review is not the final word — When I was first getting into science, nearly two decades ago now, one of the first things I was told was about the importance of peer-review. The scientific literature, you see, was not filled with opinions it was filled with facts, which we could be assured of because whenever someone…

Why doughnuts are not nearly as much of a problem as cigarettes — Junk food has become the most reviled demon of the 21st century. Not just a fast and easy way to cram calories into your body, people now consider doughnuts, pizza, and other treats to be as bad for you as smoking and drugs. There are headlines regularly arguing that processed…

Applying basic common sense to ridiculous claims — It’s Halloween, and the internet is once again abuzz with candy-related discussion. People are hotly debating whether sugar is killing children, or what the best method is to keep sex offenders away from your kids. And amid this lively debate, the perennial topic of the holiday has once again reared…