Tony Lobl

It probably takes a lot to phase comedian Jimmy Carr.

But a moulded plastic mask of Einstein's head managed to do that on an episode of QI.

Why? Because even when he knew he was looking at an optical illusion he couldn't not see what he...

Mrs Drucker died as a result of a doctor's error.

Who says so?

The doctor.

Dr Brian Goldman was a resident in the Emergency Department of a teaching hospital at the time he sent a "wife, mother, grandmother" home when she should have stayed put.

As a highly...

"Have you noticed how everything seems a little impersonal nowadays? We have all become user names, reference numbers and IP addresses."

Thus spake Starbucks in their latest ad, unveiled last Tuesday. But they have a remedy.

"From now on," they promised, "We won't refer to you as a...

The "gods in white coats" era is over.

And many physicians would be the first to say "amen" to that.

As family practitioner Dr. Andrew D. Saal has put it: "We as doctors are essentially powerless over the unknown, just as we are powerless over everyday events. No...

"Your bags will be on carousel B - that's 'B' for Botox".

This quip from the Virgin Atlantic flight service manager got a laugh from the passengers as we touched down in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, where agelessness is often at a premium.

But to many of...

Eight thousand Swiss people can't be wrong.

Some might wish they had been, though, according to a study in a science journal.

Researchers in Switzerland found those who viewed their health negatively at the beginning of a 30-year surveillance period proved more likely to fall ill or die...

"Satisfaction guaranteed (or take your love back)" sang Harold Melvyn with gusto during my halycon days as a disco DJ.

I am not sure the crowds would have boogied with quite as much gusto if Harold and his Blue Notes had been crooning "Satisfaction guaranteed (at your own...

Yesterday you were shy, bereaved, apathetic, eccentric.

Today you are mentally ill.

But don't worry. Nothing has changed except some new labelling appearing in the upcoming edition of a manual of mental disorders to be published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Or should we worry? The volume...

It's a well-known fact we just keep accumulating more "stuff".

Or is it?

It seems that material consumption in the UK might have reached its apex early in the last decade and has decreased ever since, according to a survey by environment writer Chris Goodall.

Remember the advice to take aspirin even if you don't need it - because it can reduce the chances of heart attack and stroke?

That was then. This is now.

"Healthy people who take a daily dose of aspirin to reduce their risk of a heart attack or...

A "drug-free therapy" helps slow the expected decline of people diagnosed with dementia, a study has found.

The therapy enabled sufferers to maintain "cognitive function" and the ability to carry out normal activities like gardening and preparing a meal, according to researchers from the German University of...

Lemmings - those furry little rodents that regularly throw all caution to the wind and jump into the seething ocean convinced they are going to get to the other side.

By now many of us have done a good job of imitating them in the ritual of the...

What do prayer, unconditional love, forgiveness, life's meaning and purpose, and spiritual practice have in common?

They are five Spiritual Concepts Western Medicine Must Embrace according to Karen Wyatt MD writing on the allnurses website.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the debate in the comments section...

I am one of those children for whom Advent calendars meant just one thing: chocolate - a daily dose ahead of a Christmas Day overdose.

I can't remember if those calendars also had religious or secular words of wisdom, but I clearly recall the thrill of peeling back each dated...

Whether laughter is the best medicine or not evidence certainly suggests it can lend a decidedly helpful hand when managing health needs.

According to a recent study, "proper laughing...that reaches the eyes" helps reduce pain and "promote feelings of well being".

So if you've ever felt a bit...

Mainstream, traditional, conventional and orthodox - all words which, when applied to medicine, suggest a must-have of hospitals, pills, uniformed nurses and doctors with stethoscopes.

But it's not that simple.

It is becoming increasingly mainstream to want access to a wider variety of health care options than the NHS normally...

Regular meditation can produce "beneficial effects on well-being", a recent study has found.

According to its extensive research key elements of mindfulness can measurably cut down stress, which in turn reduces blood pressure and boosts the immune system.

This is good news for people who...

Around the country sportsmen and sportswomen are diligently preparing for the London Olympics.

Everyone wants to do the best they can and, if possible, perform better than they ever have before. Most are committed to competing and winning fairly although a few might be struggling with the temptation to take...