Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Says Phthalates Do Not Pose a Risk to Health

Nobel laureate who laid foundation for green chemistry says politicians are ignoring science when they call for ban on phthalates in children’s toys.

The Risks of Formula and Formulaic Science Reporting

“Studies have shown,” says the New York Times Gardiner Harris, “that children who are fed formula have increased risks of ear and respiratory infections, obesity, diabetes and even cancer.”
But instead of the link text taking you to the actually studies which purport to show these connections, there are just links to Times query forms, [...]

Another Reason to Focus on the Risks of Cigarettes and Smoking

While activists, legislators and journalists spin themselves into a frenzy over unproven, unfounded, hypothetical, or, at worst, minor risks from chemicals in plastics and cosmetics, a new study reminds us that when it comes to infant health, exposure to the 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke should be a national priority. As Medical News Today reports, [...]

When the Media Stitches Up Scientists: PBS Pulls a Fast One on Phthalates

One of the most depressing things about writing for STATS was the discovery that many scientists are deeply reluctant to talk to journalists. Most cite the fear of being misquoted or having their positions misinterpreted to fit a black and white narrative that, in scientific terms, is marked by numerous shades of gray. Just as [...]

Time to Chill Out Over Drugs in the Water

Maia Szalavitz
A recent investigative report by the Associated Press has found traces of various medications – ranging from painkillers to sex hormones to antibiotics – in the drinking water of various locations around the country. The report has now sparked Senate hearings over what is to be done.
But what this intensive investigative report lacks [...]

Pyrex-o-mania Continues on CBS Chicago

After scanning the Internet and finding 300 claims of Pyrex dishes “exploding” over the last five years - none of which appear to have been verified as actually involving Pyrex (that would require testing the glass), and without any reliable evidence that the dishes weren’t subjected to the kind of use the warning labels warn [...]

CBS Sweeps Week Shocker: Glass Can Break!

Chicago’s CBS affiliate has discovered the laws of physics, and the shocking news is that…um… glass can break. Like, if you drop a dish made of glass it can… break (mechanical breakage), or if you put a very hot glass dish in cold water it can… break (thermal downshock).
In a segment blowing gale-force spin, [...]

Keep Your Eyes on the Slope, and Stop Worrying About “Toxic” Ski Wax

Trevor Butterworth
So how risky is snowboarding compared to the wax on your snowboard? This odd consideration comes by way of Boulder, Colorado’s Daily Camera, which asks “What’s in your ski wax?” and then answers “Slippery coating may be toxic.”
The article claims that ski wax poses a threat to health because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [...]

How We Calculate Risk: Fear of Flying After 9/11 Led to Increase in Auto Deaths

Trevor Butterworth
When it comes to calculating risk, we are hardwired to respond to the risks of a pre-modern world. As STATS Senior Fellow Maia Szalavitz points out in the January/February issue of Psychology Today:
The human brain is exquisitely adapted to respond to risk—uncertainty about the outcome of actions. Faced with a precipice or a predator, [...]

Media Overstating Phthalate Risk Say Doctors

Trevor Butterworth
In the op-ed - “Stop Scaring Us” - for the Los Angeles Times, Henry I. Miller, a physician and molecular biologist, and fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, argues that extending California’s ban on phthalates in children’s toys across the nation is an act of folly:
“Now, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is eager to expand [...]