The use of face masks/face shields to prevent transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases–are they effective?

How effective is wearing face masks and/or face shields in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases? Recommendations in the United States, at least, have varied often depending upon who issued them–politicians or medical professionals. Quick bibliography: What does the research say about the effectiveness of wearing face masks and/or face shields to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases? *Bhaskar ME, Arun S….

See more

Freshwater, drought, and climate change

Lack of freshwater for human consumption and agricultural use is a growing and very serious problem globally–including in rich countries like the United States.  As an example, rivers in many countries are experiencing significantly reduced flows due to warmer temperatures, longer and more frequent droughts, less snow and less winter precipitation, and the need to serve more and more people. Quick bibliography: Recent research about…

See more

The benefits of kindness

Be kind to others; it’s good for you and for them. “Doing good is, in fact, good for you.” There have been many supporting studies. Kindness of different kinds has “been related to increased life satisfaction, decreased depression, lower blood pressure”, a longer life, and more. Both the givers and the receivers of kindness see the benefits. Quick bibliography: Recent research about the benefits of…

See more

Authoritarianism and corruption

Authoritarianism and corruption go together. “Corruption is the misuse of public power for private gain and has become a worldwide problem for economies and social development.” Together, authoritarianism and corruption weaken societies–accentuate existing divisions, create new ones, increase inequality, spread distrust, and make a society less stable and less able to respond effectively and coherently to challenges–like disease, poverty, and violence. Voters turn to authoritarians…

See more

Childhood obesity and parents’ influence

Child obesity is a major global health problem in both developed and developing countries. Tens of millions of children (perhaps as many as 15-20% of all children) are overweight or even obese by the age of 5 or younger. “Obese children are likely to become obese adults and are at higher risk of developing a range of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type…

See more
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.