2010 July

Now Hear This If “Say again,” and “I didn’t catch that,” are phrases you use too many times each day, you may have presbycusis – a condition better known as age-related hearing loss. As age-related health issues go, presbycusis is obviously not as serious as macular degeneration or osteoporosis. But it’s driving Richard crazy. I’ve [...]

Good for Business It’s been one of the most controversial issues in every city that’s floated it: Banning smoking in restaurants and bars. Smokers cried out that they needed a place to smoke. Owners feared their businesses would be bankrupted. So what’s really happened? Let’s look at some surprising results from a Twin Cities study. [...]

The Hidden Delirium One night many, many years ago, I was staying over at a friend’s house. I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Not remembering where I was, I came within milliseconds of using her mother’s houseplant instead — because it was in the same spot where my [...]