Science & Health

Elon Musk, Neuralink’s billionaire founder, said on Monday the first human patient received an implant from the brain-chip startup on Sunday and is recovering well. “Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” Musk said in a post on social media platform X. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year […]

GENEVA — While new data show that smoking globally is on the decline, the World Health Organization warns that this good news is being undercut by an alarming rise in the use of e-cigarette and vaping devices, especially among children. “It is an alarming increase in the last four to five years. That is why we […]

NEW YORK — Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America. Today, some public health experts say a similar report could help clear the air about vaping. Many U.S. adults believe nicotine vaping is […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday its preliminary review did not find evidence that weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s NOVOb.CO Wegovy were tied to suicidal thoughts and the agency will continue to study the issue. Still, the FDA, which has listed suicidal thoughts as a potential safety signal for such drugs, […]

Bird flu has made its way into fur and elephant seal populations for the first time on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, a team of scientists confirmed Thursday, setting off alarm bells for conservationists as the highly contagious disease has already killed millions of birds worldwide. Scientists first suspected the presence of avian influenza […]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to take up a dispute over a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, its first abortion case since it overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved a pair of gene therapies for sickle cell disease, including the first treatment based on the breakthrough CRISPR gene editing technology. The agency approved Lyfgenia from bluebird bio, and a separate treatment called Casgevy by partners Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics. Both the therapies were […]

GENEVA — Countries need to increase their taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, saying too few states were using tax to incentivize healthier behaviors. After studying taxation rates, the WHO said the average global tax rate on such “unhealthy products” was low, and hiking taxes could result in healthier populations. […]

PARIS — Growing calls for the world to come to grips with the many ways that global warming affects human health have prompted the first day dedicated to the issue at crunch UN climate talks starting next week. Extreme heat, air pollution and the increasing spread of deadly infectious diseases are just some of the reasons […]