Insider trading is legal if you are a member of Congress. (HT to Alex Tabarrok)
Shortage of Massachusetts physicians is getting worse. Nearly half of all primary care practices are now closed to new patients.
Crowdsourcing: You e-mail your medical problem to lots of doctors. Of 1,000 doctors who responded, one-third correctly guessed that a Chinese woman was being poisoned by thallium. (HT to Jason Shafrin)
25 operations performed on the wrong-patient and 107 on the wrong part of the body, between January 2002 and June 2008. 43 patients significantly harmed and one died.
Scientist: Anti-smoking groups claims are hogwash: Children aren’t harmed by merely touching the clothing of a smoker.
An American charity pays British drug users to become sterilized. First acceptor says “I should never be a father.” (HT to Tyler Cowen)
Nearly 17 percent of U.S. medical costs can be blamed on obesity. The added cost to a person’s annual medical bill exceeds $2,800.
Marriage and divorce rates have remained remarkably immune to the ups and downs of the business cycle. Decline in marriage is concentrated entirely among women with less education — those who likely have the least to gain from modern “hedonic” marriage.
Why do you have to take antibiotics for 7 days? Because of the Roman emperor Constantine.
Benefits of salt: It helps tadpoles regenerate amputated tails.
There is such a thing as an ice cream headache. But only about a third of us experience it.
Testosterone therapy for men. It’s for those experiencing “andropause.”
About what would our population be if we had never fought any wars? Roughly the same if no wars had ever occurred.
Mental skills are “use it or lost it.” The earlier people retire, the more quickly their memories decline.
Heartache doesn’t actually break the heart; but it slows it down.
Ambivalence: The reason some people can’t make a decision.
Is it better to be smart or social? Groups with good social skills outperform those who are merely smart.
Lose weight while you sleep: Apparently it actually works.
Aversion therapy: The mere sight of a sick person boosts our immunity.
Why isn’t all dialysis done at home where it’s more convenient and cheaper? Answer: Medicare.
Kids are getting 40 percent of their calories from junk food. No wonder childhood obesity is such a problem.
Steuerle: Here’s the fiscal gap you can expect: annual federal spending of about $30,000 per household and taxes of about $20,000.
Does your state have a lawsuit challenging ObamaCare? Find out at this web site.
If you are assigned to a Medicare Accountable Health organization (ACO), will you be able to opt out of it? Some in Washington, say “no.”
Robot controlled by a rat brain. Video. (HT to Marginal Revolution)
New research shows poor health habits linked to subpar work performance: “More than 10 percent of sick leave and the higher levels of productivity loss at work may be attributed to lifestyle behaviors and obesity.”
Cheaper than Zoloft. For hundreds of years, indigenous South Africans have chewed a plant they say reduces stress, relieves hunger, sedates and elevates moods.
Doctors are more likely to counsel patients to do what doctors do. Exercisers, e.g., advise patient to exercise.
Health professionals have become the strongest supporters of the Tea Party Caucus.
Why is hospital food so nutritionally bad? Tyler Cowen gives five answers.
