
Two New Toxic Birds Discovered
Here’s how newfound “spicy” birds resist their potent neurotoxin
Carrie Arnold is an independent public health reporter based in Virginia.
Two New Toxic Birds Discovered
Here’s how newfound “spicy” birds resist their potent neurotoxin
Insights from Pregnancy Could Help Fight Cancer
The placenta’s invasion of the uterus holds clues to cancer resistance
Ancient Molecule Helps Bacteria Untangle Genetic Activity
New studies reveal the complex world of bacterial epigenetics
Consequences of DDT Exposure Could Last Generations
Scientists found health effects in grandchildren of women exposed to the pesticide
The Link Between Delirium and Dementia
Delirium is very common on COVID wards. Researchers are testing whether these temporary bouts of confusion could bring on permanent cognitive decline
Few Kidney Patients Can Access Palliative Care or Hospice—Why?
Treatments that reduce suffering and incorporate patient values aren’t common in kidney disease care. That’s changing
The Lifesaving Potential of Less Than Perfect Donor Kidneys
Demand for healthy kidneys has long outstripped supply. But better testing and treatment are expanding the donor pool
For Black and Brown Kidney Patients, There Are Higher Hurdles to Care
Minority patients are diagnosed later, stay on dialysis longer and are added to transplant lists less quickly. Why?
Should Your Kidney Doctor Have a Financial Stake in Dialysis?
Joint ventures between nephrologists and dialysis centers have expanded treatment. Critics ask: At what cost?
America on Dialysis
Kidney disease affects millions of Americans, but corporate capture of dialysis, along with disparities in treatment and transplant access, mean that not everyone's journey is the same.
On this Science Talk podcast, we speak with Carrie Arnold, lead reporter in an ambitious, year-long reporting project into the current state of chronic kidney disease treatment in the U.S., from diagnosis to dialysis, and from maintenance treatment to transplant (for those who are lucky).
You can read the first part in the series here.
It's a story of technological and procedural advance, but also one that has seen just two large, for-profit enterprises come to dominate the market for dialysis delivery. It's a story of expanding access, but also one still marked by racial and ethnic disparities. And it's a tale of medical innovation and adaptation, but also one beset by conflicts of interest and an inability to adapt to holistic modes of care that other disease specialities, from cardiology to oncology, have long ago embraced.
For the 37 million Americans navigating the corridors of kidney disease, these are likely familiar issues. But for the third of Americans at risk for renal disease — and for anyone who cares about how the nation's health care dollars are spent — this five-part collaboration between Undark Magazine and Scientific American pulls back the curtain and provides an unflinching look at what's working, and what's not.
Kidney Dialysis Is a Booming Business—Is It Also a Rigged One?
A new California law aims to curb what sponsors say is profiteering by dialysis centers. But are there any easy answers?
Can We Save the Woodrat without Slaughtering Cats?
In Key Largo, Fla., conservationists and feline lovers figure out how to get along
Jellyfish Caught Snoozing Give Clues to Origin of Sleep
The brainless marine creatures are the simplest organisms known to seek slumber
The Mathematicians Who Want to Save Democracy
With algorithms in hand, scientists try to make U.S. elections more representative
Hot Dispute Emerges over First Land Bridge from North to South America
New dates push the age back millions of years, creating a mystery about ice ages and animal migrations—if scientists are right
Ancient Retroviruses Emerged Half a Billion Years Ago
This viral group appeared hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought
Can an App Save an Ancient Language?
From the Chickasaw Nation to Congo, tribes try new tech to keep their ancient tongues alive
Virus Pumps Up Male Muscles—in Mice
A virus that influences the development of the placenta in mammals could also help to explain male animals’ physique
Vipers, Mambas and Taipans: The Escalating Health Crisis over Snakebites
Snakes kill tens of thousands of people each year, but experts can’t agree on dealing with an antivenom shortage
Synthetic Biology Bites Back at Global Snake Antivenom Shortage
Lab-made antibodies could produce high-volume, high-quality snakebite treatments
The Mutant Genes behind the Black Death
Only a few genetic changes were enough to turn an ordinary stomach bug into the bacteria responsible for the plague
How Mutant Viral Swarms Spread Disease
Viruses exist as “mutant clouds” of closely related individuals, an insight that is helping researchers predict where disease is likely to spread
Vaccines Give Addicts a Shot at Quitting
Vaccines against cocaine, heroin and other substances may one day help addicts stay clean
Don’t Put the “Pee” in Pool
It’s dangerous. Really