Category Skepticism

Rope Worms: C’est la Merde

Unlike other parasites, rope worms do not have muscles, nervous systems, or reproductive organs. They are often mistaken for decaying remains of other parasites, feces, or intestinal lining. (Or vice versa, perhaps?)

Gary Taubes and the Cause of Obesity

There is no getting around the physics. If you expend more calories than you ingest, you will lose weight. No diet has ever been shown to produce weight loss without a reduction in calories. The problem is that reducing calorie intake is fiendishly hard to accomplish for many reasons, both physiological and psychological.

What’s Your Vitamin IQ?

If you’re like most Americans, you are probably taking some kind of supplemental vitamin. We spend close to $12 billion annually on them. How do we decide which ones to take? Do we take a multivitamin or do we take vitamins separately? How much do we need? Which brands are better? How do we know if it’s working?

Eight Glasses of Water a Day

I was actually surprised to find out that the recommended intake of water was in fact in the range of 90 ounces (2.7L) for women and 120 ounces (3.7L) for men (really it depends on age and weight). In other words, more than 64 ounces. However, at least 20% of this will come from your daily food intake.