Health Is cycling safe? We shouldn’t take no for an answer, researcher says January 30, 2023 3 min read Part of the Wondering series A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts. In this entry, Anne Lusk, who studied cycling environments and rider safety as a researcher at the Harvard Chan School, explains the risks cyclists face and how we can mitigate them. If we are talking about cycling in general, which would apply...

“It indicated that the enactment of these laws increased the incidence of suicide by about 5 percent. It’s a small percentage increase, but we’re a large country so that does translate into roughly 125 suicides per year,” says Tyler VanderWeele. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer Health Abortion law, suicide rate study adds to raging debate. But are we missing point? Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer January 26, 2023 8 min read Epidemiologist says research tends to...

Illustration by Boris Séméniako Health Your memory may be better than you think BWH Communications January 26, 2023 4 min read Experiments prove we’re surprisingly good at knowing when and where we last saw an object The next time you’re struggling to remember exactly where you left your keys, parked your car, or put down your glasses, don’t necessarily give up on your memory completely. A new study suggests that people are also surprisingly good...

Health A laugh a day keeps the doctor away? “In order to feel good, we have to practice feeling good. And laughing is one of the most cost-effective ways to do that,” says psychologist Natalie Dattilo. Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer January 25, 2023 6 min read No one knows why we do it, but it’s free, has no known side effects, and experts say it lifts spirits, lowers stress, makes...

Health Really need to start exercising but hate it? Just move Health professionals say any regular activity is useful. If it’s been a while, ramp up ‘like a crockpot: low and slow’ Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer January 23, 2023 4 min read If you cringe at the idea of lacing up running shoes, wrapping yourself in spandex, and doing laps, reps, and sets, just move. If you think boot camp is for soldiers and...

Jim O’Connell brings health care to the streets of Boston. Harvard file photo Health Doing medical rounds on streets, alleys of Boston January 20, 2023 long read In new book, Tracy Kidder follows ‘Dr. Jim,’ who provides homeless people with health care, prescriptions, hot soup, occasional $5 bill Excerpted from “Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People” by Tracy Kidder ’67. Jim O’Connell is a graduate of Harvard Medical...

Panelists in a recent Law School talk on misinformation included (clockwise, from left) Jeanette Andrews, Stephen Wood, Ross McKinney Jr., and Jay Olson. Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer Health Why did so many buy COVID misinformation? It works like magic. Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer January 19, 2023 5 min read Harvard Law panelists say both exploit how brains process information Misinformation and disinformation about COVID and government-led health measures to combat the pandemic hampered efforts...

When Black and Hispanic patients received opioids, they tended to receive lower doses, according to researchers. The difference represents a “meaningful amount of pain control,” said Andrea Enzinger, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. iStock by Getty Images Health Study finds ‘startling’ inequities in end-of-life opioid treatment Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Communications January 17, 2023 5 min read Fewer prescriptions for Black and Hispanic cancer patients Older Black and Hispanic patients with advanced cancer are...

While some of the vitamin D we need is made in the body from sunlight, vitamin D deficiencies are often treated with supplementation. Helin Loik-Tomson/iStock by Getty Images Health Vitamin D benefits linked to body weight Brigham and Women’s Communications January 17, 2023 5 min read Study looks at correlation between positive health outcomes from vitamin D and a person’s BMI New research finds vitamin D may metabolize differently in those considered overweight, resulting in...

Health Cars blaring? Boss nagging? Take a deep breath. Now another. Daniel Goleman, Tsoknyi Rinpoche walk us through science, practice of why we should meditate January 10, 2023 long read Illustration by Nick Lowndes Excerpted from “Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion” by Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. ’74, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche, with Adam Kane. My wife and I were in a taxi with Tsoknyi Rinpoche on the way to the Delhi...