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Elizabeth Hlavinka

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Salon

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Extinct megalodon shark was even bigger than previously thought

Extinct megalodon shark was even bigger than previously thought

New research reignites debate over the size of this extinct giant, also suggesting it looked unlike a great white

monday 4

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Experts raise "serious doubt" about COVID vaccine study claiming mRNA harms

Experts raise

As politicians move to ban mRNA vaccines in some states, research into vaccine side effects is going viral

08.03.2025 30

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Navigating chaos: The science of uncertainty and how to build resilience in a constant state of flux

Navigating chaos: The science of uncertainty and how to build resilience in a constant state of flux

Experts explain how to transform a fear of the unknown into a sense of possibility

24.02.2025 30

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

What the UN's ruling on abortion in Ecuador and Nicaragua means for the rest of the world

What the UN's ruling on abortion in Ecuador and Nicaragua means for the rest of the world

Although implementation will depend on each country, these sorts of rulings have a potential for global influence

19.02.2025 5

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

New research continues to link marijuana with schizophrenia. Experts say it's not so simple

These types of studies aren't intended to imply causation, yet they are often interpreted as such

14.02.2025 3

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Infant deaths continue to rise as more abortion bans are put in place, studies find

States with abortion bans were also shown to experience an increase in births, according to a pair of studies

13.02.2025 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

In a health care system bent on their erasure, intersex people continue fighting for recognition

Trump's government will only recognize two sexes. The intersex community is fighting against this false binary

12.02.2025 6

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

A psychedelic plant from Africa holds promise for addiction and trauma — but it's not for everyone

Despite being illegal in the U.S., ibogaine popularity is growing. Here's why this shrub can potentially heal

08.02.2025 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Your questions about bird flu answered by experts

H5N1 isn’t going away anytime soon and could become a pandemic. Here are some tips to help you understand your risk

07.02.2025 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

“Sitting ducks”: Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO could put the US at risk for deadly viral outbreaks

The Trump administration is limiting the nation’s ability to respond to infectious disease as Marburg, Ebola rise

04.02.2025 40

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Trump administration’s communication freeze restricted access to critical bird flu information

Veterinarians treating cows are waiting for test results to determine their risk. But they’re facing delays

02.02.2025 7

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

RFK Jr.'s drug policy under Trump could worsen the overdose crisis, experts warn

Trump prioritizes criminalization over public health in fighting the overdose crisis. Experts say that doesn't work

30.01.2025 3

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

For the first time, H5N9 strain of bird flu detected in U.S. poultry

A California duck farm has culled thousands of birds as the virus seems to be trading genetics with other viruses

29.01.2025 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

After a disaster, communities can be at risk for toxic exposures. Do residents know that?

Many are calling for increased transparency to help citizens understand their true risk from catastrophe

28.01.2025 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

"Glimmer of hope": STI surge shows first signs of slowing in decades. What’s behind the trend?

A new treatment for sexually-transmitted diseases seems to be slowing an STI epidemic — but not everyone can get it

17.01.2025 2

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Is reality shaped by our observation? Why a fringe idea in science is still controversial

The idea, proposed in the '70s by the late John Wheeler, once seemed outlandish. But could he be right?

17.01.2025 6

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Taking supplements can be different for women — and what's in the bottle may not always be accurate

Poor regulation, conflicting recommendations and biased research have made nutritional supplements a minefield

13.01.2025 3

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

What's causing bird flu to surge? Probably climate change, experts say

Our overheating planet has changed how birds migrate — giving H5N1 the boost it needed to spread rapidly

12.01.2025 30

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

"Kiss and capture": New theory explains how Pluto captured its biggest moon

Research on Charon's cosmic dance with Pluto could have implications for other objects in the Kuiper Belt

09.01.2025 8

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Caffeine is everywhere. Is it actually harmless?

When I finally confronted my dependency and gave up coffee three months ago, my body wasn’t happy. In the mornings during the time that I would...

06.01.2025 3

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Massive study of adolescent brains puts “gateway drug" theory into question

Those who grew up when Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) pamphlets were common in the school counselor's office are probably familiar with...

06.01.2025 6

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Why more young people are “sober curious”

Kyla Gemmell knew drinking alcohol set off a domino effect that didn’t fall in line with how she wanted to live. A night of drinking disrupted her...

01.01.2025 3

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Why dark matter's mysteries persist after decades of searching

One mile beneath a mountain in Italy, scientists at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory fill a particle detector with liquid xenon, hoping to...

26.12.2024 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Sugar is irresistible like a drug. Is it actually addictive?

We’ve all said it, even if we regret it: “There’s always room for dessert.” Turns out, there is a scientific explanation for why we can consume so...

25.12.2024 4

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Psychedelics rejected, Captagon factories and "pink cocaine": The drugs that defined 2024

In the U.S., about half of the population takes a prescription drug every day, and half of adults have tried illicit drugs at least once. Drug use...

24.12.2024 4

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Bird flu hospitalizes person in Louisiana, the first severe infection in U.S.

A person has been hospitalized with bird flu in Louisiana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marking the first...

19.12.2024 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Frustrated with high drug costs, biohackers are reverse engineering medical treatments

The crescendo of outrage at the health care system lately has some arguably valid complaints. Take insulin for example. Affordable insulin is so...

15.12.2024 9

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

“Blessing and a curse”: Kratom helps many get off other drugs but carries its own risks

For Andy, kratom produces a similar effect to the opioids he was once addicted to, giving him enough energy to get through the day and reducing...

14.12.2024 8

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Cracks in cosmological theory: James Webb telescope is challenging what we know about the universe

This month marks three years since the James Webb Space Telescope was first launched, which still feels something like a miracle given how many...

09.12.2024 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Breaking down to not break down: This therapy technique splits the self. But does it actually help?

Some people who experience trauma in childhood go on to have a fear of authority figures in adulthood, as the association of this traumatic...

07.12.2024 6

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds

As the number of human bird flu cases continues to rise and more dairy farms across the country report outbreaks, scientists are increasingly...

06.12.2024 5

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Crossing evolutionary paths: New research finds different hominin species coexisted

The bones they found in the sand were a clue that something more was buried beneath the surface. When a team of excavators in the Turkana Basin, an...

29.11.2024 8

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Turkeys survived colonization and near extinction. Now they're declining again, puzzling scientists

When scouting the state for wild turkeys to include in data collection, researchers found one right next to a rail road track in the middle of a...

28.11.2024 8

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Three mysterious bird flu cases worry experts that another pandemic is looming

This month, two independent cases of bird flu were detected in North American children without any known exposure to infected animals, raising...

26.11.2024 7

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

TikTok is being flooded with birth control misinformation. Is it stopping women from taking it?

TikTok has become a hotbed of birth control misinformation, with videos accumulating millions of views in which women blame their IUDs for pelvic...

25.11.2024 5

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Republicans and RFK Jr. have embraced psychedelics. What could go wrong?

When conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to the social media site X (formerly Twitter) last month to threaten the Food and Drug...

23.11.2024 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports

The state of California has detected a possible bird flu infection in a child in the Bay Area. The state reported that the child has not had...

20.11.2024 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Ketamine's risks are under scrutiny as experts warn a crackdown could worsen access

Since 2020, ketamine therapy has been the only thing that effectively treats Mark’s complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), a mental...

17.11.2024 4

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

CDC: Overdose deaths set to dip below 100,000 for the first time since 2020

In October, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found overdose deaths decreased by 10% between April 2023...

15.11.2024 4

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Experts warn of "chilling" effect of Texas attorney general suing doctors over gender-affirming care

In late October, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a second doctor for providing gender-affirming medical care to minors in the state, where...

12.11.2024 6

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Pregnant people are targeted for marijuana — but harms from prohibition can be worse

Less than 24 hours after being discharged from the hospital, a new mother was resting at home with her newborn baby when she got an unexpected...

11.11.2024 4

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Experts Warn of Threats to Public Health If RFK Jr. Plays Big Role Under Trump

President elect Donald Trump says he plans to give Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “big role” in health care in the new administration and let him “go...

08.11.2024 4

Truthout

Elizabeth Hlavinka

“Pack your bags” RFK Jr. tells FDA. His war on public health under Trump would only accelerate

President elect Donald Trump says he plans to give Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “big role” in health care in the new administration and let him “go...

08.11.2024 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

One-third of Americans don’t trust the COVID vaccines, survey finds

Across the U.S., 35% of adults reported that they did not trust COVID-19 vaccines, without much variation across years 2021-2023, according to a...

08.11.2024 5

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Trump’s botched COVID response has been largely forgotten, but it's crucial we remember

At a campaign event in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump asked the crowd a question Ronald Reagan also asked...

01.11.2024 60

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Bird flu detected in pigs for first time as confirmed human cases double in two weeks

A pig was infected with bird flu in Oregon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Wednesday. It’s the first time bird flu, also known as the...

01.11.2024 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Unclaimed dead bodies are often "donated" to science — but it’s not always consensual

Working with cadavers in an anatomy lab is often a humbling and monumental moment in a doctor’s career. Students spend hours toiling over dead...

29.10.2024 10

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Penile fillers are on the rise. But is enhancing one's manhood like this safe?

The first time Steven signed up to inject his penis with filler in 2019, he was afraid he would permanently mutilate it. There wasn’t a lot of...

26.10.2024 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Infant deaths rose nationwide following overturn of Roe v. Wade, study finds

Infant mortality increased in the months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leading to legislation across the country that drastically...

22.10.2024 50

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka

Trump and RFK Jr. unite to "Make America Healthy Again” by threatening to dismantle public health

Last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald Trump, encouraging his followers to vote for him in the presidential election under a new,...

19.10.2024 20

Salon

Elizabeth Hlavinka