If you’ve ever parented a child who gets frequent ear infections, you know that this is the time of year to brace yourself. It starts with a runny nose. And before you know it, there’s a fever and ear pain. [Read more…]
Kids and ear infections: What’s the best strategy?
November 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The evidence on giving thanks
November 24, 2015 By 1 Comment
As most of us spend the upcoming week cooking turkeys, gathering with family and friends, and preparing for the holiday season, I found myself returning to a blog post that Karl wrote several years ago about the evidence surrounding gratitude. As my life feels increasingly busy, I find it helpful to remember that giving thanks is not simply a nice sentiment – it’s actually good for you! [Read more…]
Contradicting evidence: How much sleep do we need?
November 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment
When we read a systematic review with a strong conclusion, we believe the answer is accurate. Reviews do, for the most part, encompass all of the data we have on a given topic. The evidence is even more convincing when there is more than one review that draws a strong conclusion. [Read more…]
The birds and bees: Talking to your kids about safe sex
November 16, 2015 By Leave a Comment
There are conversations that many parents approach with apprehension. Ranking high on that list are talks about sex. But given our modern culture, conversations between parents and children about sex are increasingly important.
Artificial sweeteners: Better than sugar?
November 11, 2015 By 3 Comments
I never know what to think when I see a Diet Coke or jar of jam labeled as sugar-free. On the one hand, I know that consuming sugar leads to weight gain, among other problems. But on the other hand, I’m suspicious of low-calorie sweeteners. What exactly are they made of, and how do they affect the body? [Read more…]
Investigating Daylight Savings: The data on springing forward and falling back
November 3, 2015 By Leave a Comment
The vast majority of U.S. residents shifted their clocks back to standard time last weekend, effectively “gaining” an hour of time on Sunday. In my house, it meant that my early-rising daughter was up at 4:30 a.m.
instead of 5:30 a.m.! [Read more…]
