Author: Michelle Korhonen

Find out if everyone have to get their wisdom teeth removed. Not everyone is graced (or burdened) with these extra molars, wisdom teeth. Studies suggest that around 5-10% of people are naturally wisdom-less. Now, what Is wisdom teeth?Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the last set of adult teeth to erupt in your mouth. They typically show up in our late teens or early twenties which is between the ages of 17 and 25, making them quite the latecomers compared to their 28 other adult brethren. These molars sit proudly at the back of your mouth, one in each…

In the history of self-defeating euphemisms, Jonathan Chait’s characterization of Donald Trump’s failed coup as an attempt to “secure an unelected second term in office” belongs in the hall of fame, alongside George W. Bush’s “weapons of mass destruction–related program activities” or Kellyanne Conway’s “alternative facts.”“Alternative facts” clearly meant lies. “Weapons of mass destruction–related program activities” merely reinforced the absence of the very weapons of mass destruction that the U.S. had invoked to justify invading Iraq. And another way of saying “secure an unelected second term in office” is “coup.”When writing that line, Chait, like many other liberal writers, was…

In “Borges and I,” a classic page-long story by Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine writer presents the reader with a conundrum: How are we to distinguish between Borges, the living, breathing human being, and the affected and somewhat dandyish persona his writings have helped create? Although the two do share certain tastes and characteristics, it’s “the other one” who has a “perverse custom of falsifying and magnifying things,” Borges writes.Ultimately, the author concludes that, though he is mortal, this writerly projection of himself is the one that will endure.“I do not know,” the essay concludes, “which of us has written…

After holiday shopping and celebrations, cases of respiratory illness are on the rise across the United States. Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images After holiday shopping and celebrations, cases of respiratory illness are on the rise across the United States. Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images In most U.S. states, respiratory illness levels are currently considered “high” or “very high,” according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A few respiratory viruses have been driving the upward trend. “The influenza virus is the thing that’s really skyrocketing right now,” says Dr. Steven Stack,…

Who decides what qualifies as a “masterpiece of African American literature”? The question is central to an audacious scheme that unfolds in Erasure, a 2001 novel by Percival Everett about a Black professor of English named Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, whose high-concept retellings of Greek classics haven’t endeared him to a wide readership. Monk is beguiled by rave reviews of a novel called We’s Lives in Da Ghetto, which earns praise for its “haunting verisimilitude” in depicting the ghetto “in all its exotic wonder.” The author resolves to conduct an experiment: He writes a stereotype-driven manuscript meant to reflect the racist…

Which Sweetener Impacts Insulin Sensitivity the Most? Artificial sweeteners can impact insulin sensitivity. Research suggests that sucralose, saccharin, and acesulfame-K may affect insulin levels. For instance, sucralose has been shown to cause an increase in insulin levels, potentially leading to decreased insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance.Another study that was conducted recently reveals that different sweeteners in sugary drinks (SSBs) impact insulin sensitivity differently in young adults. This two-week trial sheds light on why some studies on insulin resistance show mixed results. For instance,Fructose: The villain! It significantly worsened liver’s insulin sensitivity compared to the control (non-sugar) group.Glucose: Hitting muscle hard,…

A crushed car is seen under part of a collapsed building in Anamizu, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, on January 4, 2024, after a major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region on New Year’s Day. Japanese rescuers are still struggling with heavy rain, blocked roads and aftershocks after an earthquake that killed at least 78 people and left tens of thousands without power or running water. # Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP / Getty

Can what you eat or your diet impact endometriosis? Scientists say yes, with promising avenues for symptom management.Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease, affecting 10% of women of reproductive age, causes endometrial tissue to grow outside the uterus, leading to chronic inflammation, severe pain and infertility, Immune system and digestive issues. Next read Endometriosis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment OptionsFrom what Sound Health and Lasting Wealth gathered from studies, dietary interventions could alleviate these symptoms and improve quality of life.A recent review in Nutrients sheds light on the emerging field of dietary interventions for endometriosis, that can help reduce inflammation, managing pain…

Updated at 4:10 p.m. ET on January 4, 2024.When the conservative authors Christopher Rufo and Christopher Brunet accused Harvard’s Claudine Gay last month of having committed plagiarism in her dissertation, they were clearly motivated by a culture-war opportunity. Gay, the school’s first Black president—and, for some critics, an avatar of the identity-politics bureaucracy on college campuses—had just flubbed testimony before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus. She was already under pressure to resign. Evidence of scholarly misconduct was just the parsley decorating an anti-wokeness blue-plate special.But soon enough, the integrity of Gay’s research became the central issue in a scandal that…

New Gene Variant Protects Against Parkinson’s Disease – Study. A newly discovered genetic mutation in a small protein, SHLP2, has been found to provide significant protection against Parkinson’s disease. Individuals with this mutation are half as likely to develop the disease as those who do not carry it.The variant form of the protein is relatively rare and is found primarily in people of European descent. The mutation, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), is essentially a “gain-of-function” mutation, and the SHLP2 variant has high stability compared to the more common type, providing enhanced protection. This discovery paves the way for exploring…