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ME/CFS Research: Are We Searching for a Biomarker Before Establishing What We Are Actually Comparing?

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After more than fifteen years of reading scientific literature on ME/CFS, I have once again come to question whether current research approaches can identify a reliable and reproducible biomarker for this condition. My skepticism does not arise from a belief that ME/CFS lacks a biological basis, nor from the assumption that science is incapable of identifying one. Rather, it arises from a fundamental concern about the assumptions underlying much of the research. Could the persistent failure to identify a reproducible ME/CFS biomarker result not primarily from technological limitations, but from the assumption that individuals sharing a clinical diagnosis necessarily share the same underlying biological pathology? Since 2010, I have examined scientific publications with several fundamental questions in mind. One question, in particular, remains insufficiently addressed: Why do so many studies compare biologically heterogeneous groups of patients diagnosed with ME/CFS against healthy ind...
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The Green Slime That Keeps Coming Back: Childhood Memories and the Hidden Health Dangers of Blue-Green Algae

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An environmental problem that reaches far beyond polluted lakes and threatens human and animal health. An article published under the headline “Vermont Has Spent Nearly a Billion Dollars to Clean Up Lake Champlain. But the Green Slime Keeps Coming Back” reminded me of my childhood and my grandfather's efforts to protect our local river. In 1955, my grandfather was one of three local residents who successfully advocated for regulations preventing untreated waste from being discharged directly into the river. These measures prohibited households along the riverbank from emptying toilet waste into the water and stopped farmers from disposing of cow manure in the river. For my grandfather, protecting the river was not simply about preserving fish and vegetation. It was about sanitation, public health, and responsibility toward the people and animals that depended on its water. As a child, I could hardly have imagined that the greenish scum sometimes appearing on lakes and ponds might ...
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The First Duties of a Restored Democracy

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Cleaning Up the Mess. Restoring Justice. Defending the Constitution. A democratic government's first responsibility is to repair the damage, restore the rule of law, rebuild public trust, and ensure no administration can ever again place itself above the Constitution. Our immediate priorities must be: End the war with Iran. Pursue an immediate diplomatic resolution, prevent further escalation, and restore peace through international cooperation. Stand firmly with Ukraine. Defend Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and right to a just and lasting peace. Restore Medicare and SNAP protections. Reverse harmful cuts, restore essential benefits, and ensure that vulnerable Americans have access to healthcare and food assistance. Rebuild American science and research. Restore full staffing and funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offer displaced scientists stable opportunities to return, and protect scientific independence from political interference. ...
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