I was really looking forward to co-chairing a session at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting this year. The organizers wisely canceled the meeting due to the one risk on everyone's mind these days: coronavirus. My talk? “Communicating Risk in a (Mis)information-filled World,” in which I explore how errors in risk perception lead to public … Continue reading Coronavirus Shows We Still Suck At Assessing Risk
When I was pregnant with my first child in 2008, the nurse who taught our pregnancy class recommended that we use Dreft detergent. One of her reasons was that they don’t strip clothes of their flame retardants. At which point, I raised my hand and asked, “but don’t we want to avoid flame-retardant exposures?” Consider … Continue reading Are we worried about flame retardants?
This post explores whether sports drinks are safe for kids. It also examines the safety of food dyes.
Be prepared for the summer with a SciMoms guide to sunscreen and sun protection!
Several years ago, my youngest broke his leg at a trampoline park while we were on vacation visiting my parents. In the urgent care center across the street, the nurses informed me that such accidents were frequent, with toddlers coming in multiple times a week with broken legs. Given their popularity and the risk associated with … Continue reading (Don’t) Jump Around: A Look at Trampoline Safety
This post outlines Alison's journey from being a mom who worried about toxins in foods and household products, to a mom who was much more comfortable doing groceries and shopping.
This post explores the CDC vaccine schedule or CDC immunization schedule. It also outlines problems with the Sears vaccination schedule or alternate vaccine schedule.
This post outlines safe, effective options for lice removal.
Safety as a scientific concept is widely misunderstood. In this post, we’ll explore the concept of safety as defined by the FDA and EPA, and we'll define the concepts of GRAS and minimal risk.
This series is a collaboration between neuroscientist Alison Bernstein and biologist Iida Ruishalme. Errors in risk perception are at the core of so many issues in science communication that we think this is a critical topic to explore in detail. This series is cross-posted on SciMoms and Thoughtscapism. We tend to think in very small … Continue reading Risk In Perspective: Population risk does not equal individual risk
