Breakthroughs in Medicine We often think of medical breakthroughs as new drugs, devices, or diagnostic tests—things we can hold, prescribe, or patent. But revolutions in medicine often begin not with a new molecule, but with a new mindset. It’s not just what we see; it’s how we see it.

The Science of Delay The lesson of PFAS is the same lesson we should have learned from lead, asbestos, and air pollution: if we wait until the evidence is definitive, we’ve waited too long.

Which Side Are You On? The line I draw is with scientists who pretend to be independent while secretly cashing checks from the industries they defend. They don’t just betray themselves—they corrode trust in science itself.

The Chronicles of Lead Toxicity We know what is typical in a world saturated with lead. But true normal—of health, behavior, intelligence—may have slipped away long ago, buried in the layers of ice, etched into tree rings, and written in our bones.

A Thousand Thanks One of the unexpected thrills of Substack has been the conversations it sparks. Some of you write thoughtful comments, others send quiet emails, and some simply open and read each post. All of it matters. Writing can be solitary, but this space has never felt lonely.

Things you might not know about chronic, low-level lead exposure and heart disease, including the lead-estrogen hypothesis "In 2019, a total of 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular disease were attributed to lead exposure" Learn from @blanphear.bsky.social erictopol.substack.com/p/is-chronic...

When science that threatens powerful interests is ignored, the public notices—even if they don’t know the details. The irony is that ignoring inconvenient science doesn’t just harm public health—it erodes the very trust needed to mobilize public health measures in the future.

🔥HUGE 🔥🔥 interview with @blanphear.bsky.social public health physician & paediatric epidemiologist. Chemical Exposures & the Toxic Risks. Making Sense of Science, Public Health, & Economic Benefit. #DoHaD #lead #pesticides #fluoride #pollution #babies #brains www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgB9...

Industry loves to say, ‘The dose makes the poison.’ But what if that’s a lie that’s been poisoning policy for decades?

Bruce talks with EWG's Ken Cook to take apart the lingering myth that “the dose makes the poison” – a chemical industry claim that there can be safe levels of toxic exposure. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIGF...

The ADHD Epidemic We Choose to Ignore We found that 8.7% of children had ADHD in a national study. That was striking enough. We also attributed one in three cases of ADHD in US children to two toxic chemicals. These weren’t obscure exposures, this was everyday life in America.

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Ken Cook of EWG. Few people have done more to expose the dangers of toxic chemicals. We dug into the old adage “the dose makes the poison”—and why it doesn’t always hold up. Please listen while you walk around the park or enjoy a beverage before dinner.

EWG scientists work to identify potential health harms from chemical exposure in everyday products so that consumers can make safer choices—and to debunk the myth that “the dose makes the poison.” Dr. Bruce Lanphear and I discuss why even low-level exposures can be harmful. @blanphear.bsky.social

I won't be able to attend Indivisible Georgia Coalition's event, “Rally: Sound Science Saves Lives” in Atlanta, Goergia—but I wholeheartedly support it.

THE CANCER EXPRESS They are not going to New Delhi to visit family or conduct business. They are going to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences—to be treated for cancer. This train has a name. The locals call it the Cancer Express.

The Most Honorable Kind of Work The most honorable contributions are those offered without the expectation of recognition, status, or repayment. They are made for the sake of truth, justice, or human progress—regardless of whether anyone notices.

Lead by Mary Oliver Here is a story to break your heart. Are you willing?

We need a story that reminds us our lives are stitched to the soil, the air, and the water—that every breath, every bite, every sip binds us to the earth and to one another.

Confessions of a Toxicologist I am guilty.

Ancestral Redundancy Genealogy changed how I move through the world. I can’t go a day without reading about or meeting someone whose surname appears in the last 10 generations of my ancestry, a constant reminder of how connected we all are.

Toxic Toys and the Death of Oversight The people who work in public health agencies are the last line of defense between you and a very dangerous kind of freedom. The freedom to sell anything, no matter how toxic. The freedom to ignore evidence. The freedom to look the other way.

What the New York Times Keeps Missing If the cause is framed as genetic or behavioral, the solution stays in the clinic. But if the cause includes toxic chemicals, prevention becomes possible.

All Work is Sacred, but it Shouldn’t Come with a Death Sentence.

These deaths aren’t random. They’re regulatory failures. They are, quite literally, collateral damage.

Why do we invest against our own best, long-term interests?

Genes feel safe—impersonal, fixed, beyond our control. The environment is messier. It forces us to ask harder questions about responsibility. It leads us to industry practices, weak regulations, and who should be held accountable.

How Estrogen Keeps Lead—and Heart Attacks—in Check

Seems like a good moment to re-up this 2010 banger of a poem. Should be read out loud. To yourself. “Questionnaire” by Wendell Berry: