vitamins

💊 What Supplements Should You Really Be Taking? A Science-Backed Guide for North Americans

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal What is happening Varrock Street Community!? If you've ever stood in front of a vitamin aisle, unsure whether to grab the D3, the multivitamin, or the super greens powder, you're not alone. The supplement industry is worth over $50

medical and health sciences

Congestive Heart Failure: What It Is, How It Happens, and What We Can Do About It

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Welcome backk Varrock Street Community! Last time, we explored the mighty “water pill”—loop diuretics—and their role in helping people manage fluid buildup. But what causes that fluid overload in the first place? In today’s newsletter, we’re taking a deep

medical and health sciences

💧 What’s a “Water Pill”? Understanding Loop Diuretics and Their Lifesaving Role

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! Have you ever heard your grandparents—or perhaps an elderly neighbor—talk about their “water pill”? Maybe it came up in passing: "Oh, I can’t go too far without a bathroom nearby—I took my water pill this

Natural Sciences

🦷 Growing Teeth: From Lab Dreams to Clinical Trials

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! A few months ago, we explored an exciting scientific breakthrough: the possibility of growing human teeth in the lab. We looked at how researchers were working with stem cells and bioengineering tools to one day help people regrow their own teeth,

growing up amish

Growing Up Amish

Book Report: Good morning, Varrock Street Journal readers! We are diving back into the world of memoirs, sharing this week a memoir by a former Amish man, Ira Wagler.  Growing Up Amish: A Memoir by Ira Wagler is a personal account of Ira's experiences growing up in an

medical history

🧪 The Origins: Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis and the Fight Against "Childbed Fever"

In the 1840s, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis worked in the maternity clinic at the Vienna General Hospital. He noticed something deeply troubling: Women who gave birth in the doctor-staffed ward were dying of childbed fever at rates two to three times higher than those in the midwife-staffed ward. Desperate to understand

Secretariat

🐎 Secretariat's Legacy: Every 2025 Kentucky Derby Horse Shares His Bloodline

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! In the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Secretariat set a record that still stands today, completing the race in 1:59.40. Over 50 years later, his legacy continues to shape the world of horse racing in an extraordinary way. This year, every

🎉 Celebrating One Year of The Varrock Street Journal 🎉

Good morning readers. Today marks a special milestone for us here at The Varrock Street Journal. One year ago, we launched this project with one goal in mind—to make science, health, and the world around us more accessible, engaging, and meaningful to everyday readers like you. Since that very

Deviated septum

👃 What’s Crooked in Your Nose? Understanding Deviated Septums and When to Fix Them

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! Have you ever noticed you breathe easier through one nostril than the other? Or do you snore loudly, suffer from frequent sinus infections, or wake up with a dry mouth? The culprit might be something you can't see

immunotherapy

💉 No Knife, No Chemo? How Immunotherapy Is Reshaping Cancer Treatment

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! Imagine hearing the words “you have cancer”—and instead of preparing for major surgery or months of grueling chemotherapy, your treatment plan is a short course of immunotherapy… and that’s it. It might sound futuristic, but new clinical data

developmental milestones

🍼 First Steps, First Words: A Guide to Pediatric Milestones

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Welcome Back Varrock Street Journal readers! This week will conclude the last of our pediatric adventures for now, future content will still include pediatric-related material, just not in a continuing format as it has been for the past several weeks, as my rotation

distracted driving

🚗 Eyes on the Road: A Personal Reminder During Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! We live in a world that pulls at our attention every second of every day. Notifications, playlists, group chats, calendars—everything fights for our focus. But there’s one place where divided attention can turn a small moment into an

medical and health sciences

🧬 An Extra Chromosome, An Extraordinary Life: Understanding Trisomy 21, 18, and 13

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! This week, we turn our attention to some of the most profound conditions seen in pediatrics: chromosomal trisomies. An extra chromosome can shape a child’s body, health, and experiences, but it doesn’t define their worth. Today, we'

cannabis

🌿 Cannabis and the Brain: What New Data Tells Us About Memory, Use, and Risk

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! Cannabis—once taboo, now trending—is making headlines again. But this time, it's not about legalization or medicinal use. Recent research is raising eyebrows about a more subtle, longer-term concern: its potential link to memory loss and dementia.

community and health

🤝 The Company We Keep: How Human Connection Heals

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! What makes a person healthy? Diet, exercise, sleep—sure. But there’s another factor just as essential that often gets overlooked: community. We’re not talking just about your doctor or your gym instructor. We mean your neighbors, your coworkers,

Natural Sciences

Do Bees Play? What Bumblebees Teach Us About Insect Intelligence

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Welcome back, Varrock Street Community! When you think of animals that play, you might picture puppies, dolphins, or primates. But what if I told you that bumblebees, yes bees, also engage in play? That’s exactly what a groundbreaking study from 2022 revealed—and

medical and health sciences

Tiny Tummies, Big Problems: Unpacking Pediatric Abdominal Conditions

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, Varrock Street Journal readers! In the world of pediatrics, few things can be as alarming for parents—and as urgent for providers—as a baby or young child with sudden, severe abdominal symptoms. From projectile vomiting to a distended belly and

medical history

🩺 “The Little Tool That Listens: A Journey Through the History of the Stethoscope”

Medical History | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! Whether you've seen one slung around a doctor's neck or used one in science class, the stethoscope is one of the most iconic tools in medicine. But have you ever stopped to wonder where it came from—

Natural Sciences

🍓 Why Are Kids Allergic to Everything Now? A Deep Dive into Childhood Food Allergies

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal What is happening this Wednesday, readers! Have you ever wondered why it feels like nearly every classroom now has a peanut-free table or why daycare forms include detailed allergy checklists? Childhood food allergies have skyrocketed in recent years, turning everyday snacks into potential medical

medical and health sciences

💓 What’s That Sound? Understanding Heart Murmurs in Newborns and Children

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Happy Monday, Varrok Street Journal readers! This week’s topic comes from a sound many healthcare professionals know well: the subtle “whoosh” that interrupts the rhythm of a beating heart. Known as a heart murmur, this sound can alarm parents when first discovered

Natural Sciences

🐺 The Dire Wolf Returns: Science, De-Extinction, and the Future of Conservation

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Welcome back Varrok Street Journal Readers, I hope you're ready for this one... If you're anything like me, hearing that scientists have “brought back the dire wolf” instantly triggers images of Game of Thrones or prehistoric tundras. But this isn&

book report

Life Lessons From a Brain Surgeon

Hello Varrock Street Journal readers! This month, we’re diving into Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon by Dr. Rahul Jandial—a fascinating read that merges high-stakes brain surgery with everyday life advice. Have you ever wondered how the brain truly works, or how small changes in your daily habits

medical and health sciences

🌞 Why Is My Baby Yellow? Understanding Newborn Jaundice

Health & Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! If you’ve ever been around a newborn, you might’ve noticed something a little surprising—a yellow tint to their skin or eyes. Maybe you are like me, and have heard your parents talk about how you or your

Natural Sciences

Why Do April Showers Bring May Flowers?

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal Good morning, readers! Maybe some of you are like me today. Sitting inside enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee, enjoying the soft rainfall outside my door. While soaking these moments in, I thought to myself, we’ve all heard the phrase “April showers

Natural Sciences

Bird Flu and Breakfast: What You Need to Know About the 2025 Avian Influenza Outbreak

Natural Sciences | The Varrock Street Journal If you're a big breakfast person, you might be just as upset with the current egg prices around the country as I am! Maybe you’ve seen the headlines—or maybe you haven’t noticed—but the culprit is the ongoing avian