Is Agent Orange still causing birth defects?

The legacy of Agent Orange: a photo gallery

An herbicide sprayed over the Vietnamese jungles during the war had a far greater impact than its supposed role as a defoliant, a chemical used to remove greenery. Agent Orange’s deleterious nature quickly impacted exposed people – and their children. This photo gallery, which includes graphic images, follows a photographer as they report on those affected by the chemical.

Revelations that apples were sprayed with the chemical Alar led to its ban in the 1980s

Almost three decades after Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” a “60 Minutes” segment on the use of Alar, a chemical sprayed on apples, drew national attention and inspired supermarkets and schools to remove apples from their shelves and cafeterias. That same year, the Environmental Protection Agency took action against the use of the chemical in food.

Zika virus shocked scientists because the mosquito-borne disease causes birth defects

This revelation, confirmed in 2016, marked the first time that a mosquito-borne disease was known to cause birth defects. Fetuses exposed to the Zika virus during pregnancy sometimes suffer from neurological complications and microcephaly, a small-headed condition associated with neurological development issues and impairment.

Risk factors linked with ASD include older parents, preterm births, and toxic prenatal exposures

Though researchers agree that there is a strong genetic component to ASD development, certain environmental factors heighten that risk, with studies suggesting older parents, premature birth, maternal obesity, and air pollution exposure in utero all elevate risks of ASD development. There is no connection between receiving vaccines and ASD development.

What happened to thousands of teens from the 1990s?

Scientists followed thousands of teenagers from 1997 into their 30s, cataloging their adverse experiences along the way via nearly three decades of interviews. Teens who grew up dealing with poverty, uninvolved parents, and other childhood stressors and traumas racked up an ACE score. These adverse childhood experiences have lifelong impacts on one's health, relationships, financial security, and "pretty much everything else," making them more likely to suffer premature death.

Volatile chemical contamination can last in burn areas long after urban wildfires

Lead, arsenic, asbestos, and other chemicals have been found trapped in smoke-exposed rugs, couches, pillows, and other furniture that appeared otherwise undamaged from the 2025 LA wildfires. The gradual release of these substances has produced dangerous indoor air concentrations and contributed to increased emergency room visits and abnormal blood tests.

The theory of chemtrails originated from misinterpreting a US Air Force paper

The document proposed a future weather modification system to achieve military objectives, but clarified that such a system "does not reflect current military policy, practice, or capability." Past testing of biological and chemical weapons has accelerated conspiracies about streaks of condensation trailing aircraft to be harmful chemical agents.

Exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear accidents can damage DNA

The damage can increase the risks of cancer, cataracts, heart disease, and other illnesses based on exposure times and intensities. Contaminated food, water, air, or soil from near nuclear accidents can further prolong one's exposure.

Modern genetic testing stems from a 1950s discovery about the cause of Down syndrome

Scientists found that an additional copy of chromosome 21 causes the disease and developed an approach to stain chromosomes so they could be manually sorted and counted, which is called karyotyping. The breakthrough discovery by Marthe Gautier, a young French doctor and cytogenetics researcher, was appropriated by a male colleague, who listed himself as the lead author of the study reporting the finding.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

Peanut allergies dropped by 43% after doctors reversed avoidance guidance, but questions remain

The study’s data appear to confirm the policy shift. Still, since the study did not include an examination of infant diet, researchers can’t definitively say that the guideline shift led to dietary changes and thus directly caused the decline.

The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention regulates toxic substances

This office evaluates and manages risks from industrial chemicals and pesticides. It reviews new chemicals before they enter the market, restricts hazardous substances, and promotes safer alternatives to protect human health and the environment.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure

This podcast takes on the thorny mismatch between recent research linking herbicide exposure to Parkinson's disease and federal and state regulators' conclusions that there is insufficient evidence to establish causality. Though the main company that produces the herbicide Paraquat has recently stopped making it, dozens of others continue to do so, prompting concerns from some Parkinson's patients and scientists about disease risk and the pace of scientific answers. 

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

A list of reasons against dropping the bomb on Japan

One of the perennial moral debates, the dropping of nuclear bombs on Japanese cities prompted strong, polarizing reactions at the time. This article breaks down one side of the argument: that the bomb was designed for defense, using it was illegal and racist, and that there were alternatives.

The five most common chemicals found in modern food

Most modern processed foods rely on a number of preservatives to stay fresh from production to our plates. The most common include citric acid (preservative and flavor), sodium benzoate (preservative), xanthan gum (thickening and stabilizing), carrageenan (thickening), and red dyes 3 and 4 (for color).

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Many chemicals used in fracking fluid have been classified as toxic

Although the fluid has been known to leach into drinking water supplies, raising health concerns, fracking is exempt from federal clean water regulations due to a loophole in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 championed by former US Vice President Dick Cheney.

GMOs sound scary, but you eat them every day

Why are GMOs bad? They aren’t. We’ve been eating them for decades with no ill effects, which makes sense, because a genetically modified organism is simply an organism, like every other organism, produces hundreds of thousands of proteins, but one or two of them are proteins that were chosen specifically by humans. Watch this 11-minute video for more.

What employers can do about parental stress

The US Surgeon General recently released a formal warning deeming parental stress a public health issue. The advisory also included recommendations for how employers can mitigate the issue. Employers can help their employees access child care, for instance, or provide flexible working hours. To find out more about what the Surgeon General prescribes, read more here.

Nike’s labor practices became controversial in the 1990s—leading to widespread protests of the brand

In the 1990s, Nike came under fire for its use of factories with unsafe working conditions and child labour to produce its products. While Nike didn’t own the manufacturing sites, many people felt Nike was ultimately responsible for using sweatshops in countries like Vietnam and Thailand.

Various pollutants may be contributing to a male infertility crisis

Male infertility, due to declining sperm counts or quality, accounts for about half of the cases of infertility among couples. Recent research has found that global sperm counts fell, on average, by 1.2% per year between 1973 and 2018—from 104 million to 49 million per milliliter. From 2000, this rate of decline accelerated to more than 2.6% per year. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Bill Nye did not have children for fear of passing on ataxia

In his 2017 documentary, Nye revealed the congenital, neurological condition on his father's side of the family, which is characterized by a lack of balance and problems with fine motor movement. He has since learned he likely does not have the disease, though both his siblings have shown symptoms.

The ozone layer is on track to recover to pre-1980 levels by mid-century

Thanks to the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer is steadily recovering and, according to a 2022 assessment, is expected to return to 1980 levels by 2040 globally, 2045 over the Arctic, and 2066 over Antarctica.

All US presidents, by generation

Every president is a member of a generation, and Baby Boomers have held the Oval Office since 1992 (with the exception of Joe Biden, of the Silent Generation). But what about in the early days? Turns out the generation with the most presidents is the Transcendental Generation (born between 1792-1821), which includes Abraham Lincoln. Check out the full list (and what are most likely very new generational terms) with this fun overview.

DACA provides temporary protection for undocumented youth brought to America as children

Created by executive order during the Obama administration, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy provides temporary deportation protection and work authorization for undocumented individuals brought to the US as children. Explore the history and ongoing political debates surrounding DACA and citizenship pathways.

25 million pounds of beads are distributed every Mardi Gras, leading to environmental concerns

The necklaces—which are mostly made from cheap, often toxic, plastic—are believed to be harmful to New Orleans and its residents. Dr. Howard Mielke, an environmental scientist at Tulane University, found that the majority of lead in the city's soil can be found along Mardi Gras parade routes.

Diphtheria was once a leading childhood killer before antibiotics and vaccines

In 18th- and 19th-century outbreaks, some New England families lost as many as eight children to diphtheria, and fatality rates in hospitals often topped 60%. The invention of antitoxins, penicillin, and vaccines dramatically reduced deaths.

Poison ivy is in the same family as mangoes, cashews, and pistachios—and they all produce oily urushiol in their raw, unprocessed state—but they are typically prepared in ways to avoid causing human discomfort.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

How the most famous Ebola book, The Hot Zone, which sold 3.5 million copies and was translated into 30 languages, got aspects of the disease so wrong.

Tattoos remain visible on your skin thanks to immune cells called macrophages

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

The original copy of the Declaration of Independence is not a pristine document, and even features a smudged anonymous handprint in the bottom left corner.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

Sunflowers have long been a symbol of nuclear disarmament because they can extract large amounts of radioactive cesium from soil.

About 12.5% of US adults experience a phobia in their lifetime, a diagnosis that hinges on the intense fear interfering with daily life and persisting for at least six months.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

In 1984, Operation Smash Hit intentionally crashed a 239-ton train into a nuclear waste canister at 100 miles per hour to prove the canister's safety, which remained completely intact and lost just 0.29 of its 100 pounds of pressure.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Firework or sparkler burns, even if they cover a relatively small area of skin, can significantly affect our range of motion.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

One of the most famous portraits ever taken is 'Afghan Girl' (1984) by Steve McCurry, yet the subject Sharbat Gula went much of her life without being identified or benefitting from the image's success.

Dirty lightning is a thunderstorm created from friction between rising and falling flows of ash and smoke during volcanic eruptions.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.