Health

A Possible Substitute for Mifepristone Is Already on Pharmacy Shelves

A higher dose of an emergency-contraception drug may open a back door for Americans seeking abortions in restrictive states.

Los Angeles’s Ash Problem

Without rain, neighborhoods covered in fine debris from the fires must find a way to deal with it on their own.

America Just Kinda, Sorta Banned Cigarettes

A new rule by the FDA could change smoking as we know it.

Aspiring Parents Have a New DNA Test to Obsess Over

An emerging field of genetics promises to let parents choose the “healthiest” baby.

A Secret Way to Fight Off Stomach Bugs

It isn’t hand sanitizer.

Not Just Sober-Curious, but Neo-Temperate

How sobriety went from a radical social movement to a tool of self-optimization

Bird Flu Is a National Embarrassment

America should have more aggressively intervened almost a year ago.

Public Health Can’t Stop Making the Same Nutrition Mistake

Telling Americans what food is healthy doesn’t mean they will listen.

Americans With Dementia Are Grieving Social Media

With its visual interface and constant updates, the social web is a nightmare for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline.

You’ll Never Get Off the Dinner Treadmill

There’s no such thing as an easy weeknight meal.

Thermometers Are Hot Garbage

Just use your hand instead!

Invisible Habits Are Driving Your Life

The science of habits reveals that they can be hidden to us and unresponsive to our desires.

Doctors Thought They Knew What a Genetic Disease Is. They Were Wrong.

Mutations that happen throughout a person’s life may contribute to disease more than we realized.

You Are Drinking the Wrong Eggnog

Coquito has all of the holiday spirit—and none of the salmonella.

How Tortillas Lost Their Magic

Most American tortillas taste like cardboard. Chefs, restaurants, and companies are trying to restore the corny glory.

COVID’s End-of-Year Surprise

The dreaded “winter wave” looks different this year.

America’s Bird-Flu Luck Has Officially Run Out

Bird flu has spread so widely that it was always going to make someone seriously sick.

Has Your Cat Closed Its Rings Today?

Welcome to the era of the quantified pet.

RFK Jr.’s Testosterone Regimen Is Almost Reasonable

But the would-be health secretary has shown more interest in pressing iron than pressing the science forward.

The Ozempic Flip-Flop

West Virginia gave obesity drugs to teachers and state employees—then took them away.