"A good manner in the village"

In Malawi it is believed that a forty-something man with HIV being paid to have sex with 12-year-olds is an important cleansing to avoid the infection of the community by the girls' irresponsible ways.

Medical Marijuana Used As Medicine

The use of prescription drugs in states with medical cannabis laws has gone down across the board.  It's estimated that if every state legalised cannabis, Medicare would save more than $468 million US on pharmaceuticals.  It's possible there would even be savings if they began to cover this so-called "medicine" that many are now taking in lieu of expensive, toxic, patented and FDA-approved drugs.

Psychiatry and Possession

Is it possible to be a sophisticated psychiatrist and believe that evil spirits are, however seldom, assailing humans? Most of my scientific colleagues and friends say no, because of their frequent contact with patients who are deluded about demons, their general skepticism of the supernatural, and their commitment to employ only standard, peer-reviewed treatments that do not potentially mislead (a definite risk) or harm vulnerable patients. But careful observation of the evidence presented to me in my career has led me to believe that certain extremely uncommon cases can be explained no other way.

Weed Good For Old Minds

A trial of medical cannabis oil on people with symptoms of dementia has shown a significant reduction in delusional and apathetic behaviour, improbably enough.

Chatbot Overturns 160,000 Parking Tickets

A robot lawyer has successfully appealed 64% of 250,000 parking tickets, resulting in millions of lost revenue for London and New York City.  Next injustice to be fought by artificial intelligence: refugees navigating foreign legal systems.

Boredom Good For Young Minds

“A child develops best when, like a young plant, he is left undisturbed in the same soil. Too much travel, too much variety of impressions, are not good for the young, and cause them as they grow up to become incapable of enduring fruitful monotony.”

Study Shows Nature Heals Trauma

Man creates War.  War creates Trauma.  Nature offers plants, fungi, forests, and rivers for healing the wounded soul of Man.  Man outlaws Nature.

Industrial Farming Unsustainable

Better paid farm workers would do more to feed the world than bigger machines and stronger pesticides.  When the current higher yield of industrial farming is weighed against environmental, economic, and social considerations, organic farming comes out as superior in the long run.

Music Improves Auditory Processing in Children

These initial study results, published recently in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, provide evidence of the benefits of music education at a time when many schools around the nation have either eliminated or reduced music and arts programs. The study shows music instruction speeds up the maturation of the auditory pathway in the brain and increases its efficiency.

Murder by Madman Enthusiastically Politicised

The lone witness to allege that the killer of British MP Jo Cox shouted "Britain First!" before and after the murder is himself a member of the rival British National Party.  Another witness, a Muslim, denies the statement was uttered.  Journalists, politicians, and the pundits of social media proceed with their confidently bigoted denunciation of anyone with any ideas in common with the crazy person.

Gardens Unconstitutional

In Miami Shores, "Aesthetics and uniformity are legitimate government purposes."  That's why your front yard must consist of inedible grass, sod, or "living ground cover," but absolutely no vegetables.  The government thinks they're ugly and messy, so you'll pay a fine or be made to dig up your unsightly nutrition!  Shamefully put that garden behind your house where no one will have to see the awful thing.

"Emotional Fever" of "Loser Fish" Demonstrates Consciousness

The stress and depression experienced by confined and farmed fish has prompted the first glimmer of awareness in their farmers that our dinner has feelings too.  We can only hope that humanity's farmers will reach the same conclusion.

Space-Awe For Health

The replicability of the overview effect, whereby seeing the Earth from space induces a life-changing sense of wonder, could lead to virtual reality awe machines.  Alternatively, this may just tell us that those who go to the heavens come back lighter.

Humans Made Love, Not War

New research suggests that Homo sapiens wiped out the Neanderthals not by brutal warfare and genocide, but by carrying tropical diseases into Ice Age homes.

Prisoners Get More Fresh Air Than Children

It's vitally important for the physical and mental health of prison inmates to get time outdoors.  For this reason there is no question about enforcing their right to see the sun.  It is therefore disturbing to consider that the average child, already imprisoned in school for much of the time, has less time outside on the average day than the average prisoner.

Eisenhower Eats

Ike's great-granddaughter recommends a diet not far removed from Cathar or Vedic practice to facilitate contact with sky beings.

This could prompt us to reflect deeply on the mysterious resonances between religious revelations spanning the centuries, or perhaps to enjoy an amusing piece of fluffy journalism with a condescending smirk on our smug faces.

Cover-Up Covered Up

Robert De Niro has withdrawn the documentary "Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe" from the Tribeca Film Festival.  De Niro had previously championed the film's right to contribute to a public discussion.  After consulting with members of "the scientific community," De Niro had an "awakening," and now shares their "concern with certain things in this film."

The filmmakers, who were not asked to respond to claims against their documentary, issued their own statement, with some business about free speech, art, and truth.

Wellness Monitoring Takes Off

The corporation you work for would like you to wear a tracking device to collect data about your movements, for your health.

Nixon Disliked Blacks, Hippies

Feminists, liberals, libertarians and more are dreadfully upset and surprised that the war on drugs has never been about drugs.

Smart People Avoid People

Science has confirmed that spending time with average people is depressingly pointless for the intelligent.  For everyone else, socialising makes happy, up to a point -- happiness is also inversely proportional to population density.  Everyone gets tired of humans sooner or later.