Back in the early 1970s, psychologists at Northwestern University performed an experiment that, on the surface, looked like a child’s fantasy. The researchers gathered 45 college women and asked some…

Out of the 30 states where measles has been detected in 2026, Florida currently ranks third in case counts. Since the start of the year, at least 132 confirmed or…

If nutrition is a sport, it has no casual fans. Supporters of Team Protein, the 2025 champions, are numerous and passionate, backed up by a sprawling industry of protein-supplemented products…

Last September, during a memorably bizarre press conference, President Trump told pregnant women—repeatedly and emphatically—not to take Tylenol. His health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pointed to studies that “suggest…

This time last year, Jay Bhattacharya’s main claim to fame was, in essence, a hot take on COVID. In 2020, Bhattacharya, then a health economist at Stanford University without specialized…

Updated at 1:20 p.m. ET on March 5, 2026 The surgeon general may be the nation’s doctor, but she’s not your doctor. At least that’s the view of Casey Means,…

The eating habits of American adults have, in recent years, begun to resemble those of hobbits. Maybe you, too, have scarfed down scrambled eggs at home in the morning, only…

The day after Thanksgiving, I got a voicemail. A woman identified herself as a doctor at the University of Louisville hospital: “I believe I may have one of your family…

Of all the ways that governments can try to help people, cash transfers can seem like one of the most straightforward. Their popularity has been growing: Over the past decade,…

Casey Means has, to say the least, modified her tone. When she testified today in front of the Senate’s health committee, the nominee for surgeon general didn’t, as she is…