Health & Fitness Lectures and Online Courses

Air Dryers vs Paper Towels

Which hand drying method is the best, air or paper towel? The answer is more complicated than you might think – but do wash your hands. […]

The Dangers of Alternative Medicine—Why Scientific Standards Matter

We are often asked “What’s the harm?” when it comes to benign placebo. “If people feel better, who cares if it’s pseudoscience?” Dr. Novella answers why a seemingly harmless action lowers the standards for all medical practitioners. […]

image of depressed female for article about suicide prevention

Suicide Prevention—When Should You Act to Prevent Suicide?

Suicide and suicidal thoughts are more common than you may realize; There are about 45,000 in the United States each year. So, what can we do about it? Learn how to help with Dr. Roy Benaroch. […]

Children’s Anger Management Strategies That Work

Children’s Anger Management Strategies That Work: Learn effective ways to help your child handle anger from Professor Eileen Kennedy-Moore today. […]

Essential Oils in the Ambulance

Dr. Steven Novella discusses the rise of essential oils. He states, “Aromatherapy with essential oils is pseudoscience, backed only with low-quality studies guaranteed to show a placebo effect. Their growing popularity warns that better science education is needed.” […]

Both Sides of the Vaping Controversy

Both Sides of the Vaping Controversy. Could vaping and e-cigarettes reduce the toll of death and illness due to smoking conventional cigarettes? The most recent issue of the Annual Review of Public Health has a nice pro-and-con. Professor Timothy Taylor discusses both sides of artificial cigarettes. Read more on The Great Courses Daily. […]

New Study Finds that Statins Prevent Cardiovascular Deaths

New Study Finds that Statins Prevent Cardiovascular Deaths. A new meta-analysis shows that statin drugs are effective at preventing cardiovascular events and death, especially in patients with a baseline LDL cholesterol >100. […]

What are the Health Benefits of Qigong?

Qi is the Chinese word for the energy of life, and the ability to manipulate this energy is at the heart of a great many Asian martial arts. But what are the Health Benefits of Qigong? […]

Food Science and Nutrition Myths: Is Organic Food Better for Us?

One question that comes up is whether organic produce is more nutritious than conventionally farmed produce? An organic label does not say anything directly about the final product, only about the production method. So, does that mean it is inherently healthier for us? […]

Performance-Enhancing Drugs: The Lance Armstrong Doping Scandal

America’s most well-known cyclist of the recent past is, no doubt, Lance Armstrong. Born in Texas, Armstrong turned pro in 1992 at age 21, and within the next few years, won major competitions, including stages within the Tour de France. Few foresaw the disgraceful path his career would soon take, tainted by the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs. […]