(With files from Laurie Weston)
Let’s suppose that your medical doctor finds something of concern and suspects that you may have cancer. Your doctor’s first step is to send you for some type of non-invasive test, such as an X-ray or MRI. A few days later, you receive a phone call from your doctor, and you get the news you have been dreading. Your test is positive.
So, how concerned should you be? Although you should...
On June 23, Bill C-36 was given first reading in Canada’s House of Commons. Concerning hate crime, speech, and propaganda, this bill proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA). The federal government claims that the bill is being proposed to help reduce the rise in hate crimes and make online spaces “safe.”Concerned citizens may reasonably ask if this bill will effectively reduce and redress hate crime, or if it...
In previous BIG Media articles (Assessing the relative lethality of COVID-19: a Canadian case study, COVID clarification – a tale of two tales), we compared COVID-attributed deaths to other causes of death of all types to provide context for the impact of COVID-19 in its first year. This was enlightening in many ways, but diseases such as cancer and heart disease are not contagious, and deaths from these causes are therefore unlikely to spread...
Oliver Stone thought he was quoting someone else when he wrote, “Hell is the impossibility of reason.” Other writers may have spoken similarly, for the ability to reason is arguably humanity’s greatest gift and hope for co-operation.
The words “Intelligence” and “Logic” appear in BIG Media’s logo because they align with the organization’s commitment to deliver articles that are objective and factual. It is the belief of BIG Media ownership that elements of the news...
An article recently published on BIG Media (Assessing the relative lethality of COVID-19: a Canadian case study), presented an analysis of all causes of death in Alberta from 2001 through 2019, and compared the COVID-attributed deaths of 2020 to the overall “deathscape”. At the time I was researching and writing that piece, I noticed an article on the CTV News website addressing a similar theme. This article was based on the same source of...
A constant theme in this three-part series on renewable energy is that wind and solar electricity generation have a different operating structure compared to the incumbent generation technologies that produce the majority of the world’s electricity. This is particularly the case when compared with hydrocarbon sources oil, natural gas, and coal.
The first two stories in the series are linked here: Renewable energy – renewing hope or struggling to cope?; Renewables Part 2: cost and...
“Everyone dies.”
– Elon Musk
Although most of us try to delay the inevitable as long as possible, death is a fact of life. Most people do not even like to mention it. In the midst of a pandemic, however, death is a hot topic. Yes, everyone dies, but what is killing us and how has COVID-19 changed the “deathscape”?
Causes of death are many and sometimes difficult to pinpoint in individual cases. Data available from the...
Dietary supplements are consumed by humans for many reasons, including performance enhancement, weight loss, filling dietary gaps, treating maladies, or general health maintenance. A majority of North Americans consume dietary supplements at some point in their lives.
The vitamin and supplement industry is projected to be worth $306.8 billion globally in 2026.One out of two people in North America report taking supplements regularly (most commonly a daily multivitamin). What oversights exist to ensure we are getting what we...
It’s no secret – North America has got some serious debt issues.
The U.S. debt is projected to surpass $23.53 trillion USD, and Canada $1.12 trillion CAD in net general government debt in 2021.
Should you be worried? Many mainstream media headlines would have you believe so:
Global credit rating agency issues new warning over Canada’s coronavirus spending, debt
Your share of Canadian government debt: more than $34,000
Massive deficit to be revealed today begins new era of debt...
There are few things more uncomfortable and debilitating to the human mind and body than sleep deprivation. Our bodies will attempt to shut down even when personal safety is at great risk. Beyond a drowsy, head-on collision with a semi-truck, sleep holds important implications in mental health, physical health, and even a country’s economy and your earning potential.
Determinants of health
Human health is a complex and dynamic spectrum composed of countless mental and physical elements....
