Photo courtesy Platinum Sun Everywhere you turn, chlorine is part of your environment, quietly embedded in your drinking water, shower steam, pool systems and the cleaning products under your sink. It’s praised for its germ-killing power and assumed to be harmless in...

Artwork©jussang/123rf Later in life I spoke with a Mississippi friend from elementary school on the phone. I had a few unanswered questions. “Why does it seem like you guys in the South are always fighting the Civil War?” I asked. “Y’all won!” was my friend’s shocking...

Photo courtesy of Freepik Whether it’s your co-worker adding drops to her morning coffee or your neighbor swearing it helped his back pain, CBD is making waves. But what’s the real story behind it? Is it legit? Is it safe? Can it really help with pain and anxiety?...

Photo©DmitriZelenevski/123rf Science Says Plastic Bag Bans Really Do Work by Joseph Winters, Grist When you outlaw or discourage the sale of plastic bags, fewer of them end up as litter on beaches. That’s the intuitive finding of a paper published Thursday in the...

Photo©OlenaYakobchuk/123rf For ten years, my husband and I have welcomed foster children into our home — 17 young people from ages 3 to 17. The children come with their own set of stories, personalities, and histories, but they all share one thing: trauma. Trauma...

July 1: July begins under promising skies. The morning hours are especially pleasant as the industrious Virgo Moon harmonizes with Venus. Spirits are upbeat. Business and pleasure mix seamlessly. A welcome, if unexpected financial opportunity is a possibility. A past...

Photo©malaikacasal/123rf Summer is just getting started, and millions of people are under heat advisories as a major heat wave spreads across large parts of the central and eastern U.S. in June 2025. For many people, summer is their favorite season, a time for...

Photo courtesy Emilie Ledgwidge/Ocean Image Bank Humpback Whales Communicate With Us Using “Smoke” Rings by Cristina Ortiz, EarthSky Did you know that humpback whales can produce spectacular rings underwater? In August 2024, scientists discovered humpback whales use...

Photo courtesy Freepik Let’s be honest, most of us want to feel amazing every day. More energy, glowing skin, better sleep, less stress, and a strong immune system. Sounds like a dream. But here’s the thing — it’s actually possible to feel like that more often than...

Photo courtesy Mark Braunstein A single moment in 1990 changed my life, but not forever; just for the rest of my life. While hiking with friends on a woodland trail, we came upon a footbridge where three men were repeatedly diving in unison into the river below. As a...