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Covid-19 conspiracy theories go mainstream

Too often the voices of science have been drowned out by the shrill certainties of the anti-science crowd. Meanwhile, wacky Covid-19 conspiracy theories, hyped by shrewd operators like Alex Jones of Infowars and Bobby Kennedy, Jr., have gone mainstream. Here’s the thing: most of the time science is both boring and frustrating. Einstein likened exploring the frontiers of knowledge to searching for four-leaf clovers. No matter how talented and prepared you are, you need some luck. As the physicist Richard Feynman (another genius physicist) said, “I have many brilliant ideas. Most of them are wrong.” Furthermore, most of the insights of researchers, including the specialized vocabulary, are beyond the ken of most educated laymen. Scientific American magazine is a welcome counterexample. It has done its best to bring science and technology to the masses since its first issue appeared in 1845. I have been reading it for decades. Many famous scientists,

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Health

The 101 on your immune system

Your immune system defends you from constant threats. Look after it so it can look after you. Part One: How your immune system works THE ABC’S OF IMMUNITY We don’t realize it as we go about our day, but our immune system is engaged in a constant life-or-death drama, fighting threats too small to see and winning most of them most of the time. In this era of the COVID-19 pandemic, it helps to get a big-picture view of the immune system. Without it, we would all be sick, dying, or dead. In the article How the Immune System Works, in Medical News Today (2018), Tim Newman explains that “without an immune system, our bodies would be open to attack from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and more. It keeps us healthy as we drift through a sea of pathogens. This vast network of cells and tissues is constantly on the lookout

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Health

The power of your immune system

The immune system strives to protect us from infections and to stop tumours in their tracks. Its job, simply put, is to keep us alive. You can look at the immune system as a gift from nature. It works hard to fend off all types of insults to our system. But it’s a two-way deal. If we want all the benefits of a high-functioning immune system, we need to look after it so it can look after us. To help our immune system, we need to eat right and exercise smart. We also need to identify and ignore some myths. Our bodies need fuel and our immune system is no different. IRON deficiency is the most common deficiency in the world. More than 20% of the world’s population has an iron deficiency—and women are more likely to be affected than men, according to Statistics Canada. Iron deficiency leads to less cell-mediated immunity,

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Fitness

Strengthening your immune system

Immunity, or lack of it, starts at the cellular level. The immune system involves your skin, intestines, nasal mucosa, blood, lymph nodes, white blood cells, stem cells, b-cells and many other organs and tissues. Factors that impair immune function include nutrient deficiencies, contaminated air, water and food, unhealthy lifestyles and exposure to harmful microbes. The immune system is the body’s chief defense system, designed to protect the body against germs, viruses, bacteria and other invaders. A weakened immune system leaves the body vulnerable to virtually every type of illness and disease, especially when you move between climates, countries and time zones. The shift from late summer to autumn is always marked in the health calendar by the arrival of a new generation of viruses accompanied by wide- spread coughs and colds. Your immune system essentials Echinacea This popular herb works by increasing the numbers and activity of white blood cells.

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