Science

SpotlightPestalotiopsis microspora: The Fungus That Eats Plastic

Bélinda Ibrahim 31/07 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora Plastic Amazon

In 2011, during a scientific expedition in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, Yale students stumbled upon an unusual fungus. Hidden within the tissues of certain plants in Yasuní National Park, Pestalotiopsis microspora revealed a unique ability: it can break down one of the most common types of plastic, the polyurethane, even in completely ...

SpotlightThe Fantasized Body: When the Image Erases the Woman (2/2)

David Sahyoun 30/07 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Psychoanalysis Female Body Fantasy Image

In today’s world, the female body is under constant pressure. It must be smooth, toned, youthful, desirable but not vulgar, slim but not unhealthy, maternal yet flawless. On social media, in advertising and in television shows, a single ideal takes hold: a body that is controlled, edited and put on display. The ideal is now algorithmic. It is ...

ExplainerWhen Losing a Dog Hurts More Than Losing a Loved One

Bélinda Ibrahim 30/07 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Dog Grief Suffering Humans Unconditional Love

“It’s only a dog.” This phrase, often said with a hint of condescension, can feel like a harsh blow to those who have just lost their four-legged companion. Yet growing scientific evidence shows that grieving a pet – especially a dog – can be just as intense as, and sometimes even more profound than, mourning a human loved one. The ...

Liver Cancer to Double Worldwide, Most of it Preventable

This is Beirut 29/07 09:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cancer Liver Hepatitis

The number of people with liver cancer will nearly double worldwide by 2050 unless more is done to address preventable causes such as obesity, alcohol consumption and hepatitis, a study warned Tuesday. New cases of liver cancer -- the sixth most common form of the disease -- will rise to 1.52 million a year from 870,000 if current trends ...

HighlightMotherhood at 35: Empowered Decision or Medicalized Path?

Bélinda Ibrahim 28/07 14:03 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Motherhood Mothers Children Babies

There was a time when a woman was considered an “older mother” at 35. Today, that age still marks a symbolic and medical threshold. In gynecology wards, the term “geriatric pregnancy” may have disappeared from official manuals, but it’s still whispered behind closed doors. Yet the data is clear: in many Western countries, the average age ...

LAU Rizk Hospital Revolutionizes Preventive Medicine in Lebanon

Makram Haddad 25/07 19:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

LAU USA

The LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital has taken a major step forward in preventive medicine with the official launch, on Thursday, of its Executive Health Preventive Program. This visionary initiative, designed for executives and health-conscious individuals seeking to optimize their long-term well-being, embraces a proactive approach to ...

HighlightUnseen and Unspoken: The Enigma of Pregnancy Denial

David Sahyoun 24/07 22:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Women Children Motherhood Mothers

Some births occur without anticipation, as if the child arrived out of time. Pregnancy denial is neither deception nor performance. It is a psychic reality that takes shape without words, a pregnancy the body conceals and the mind excludes. This clinical enigma raises profound questions about motherhood, the female body, generational transmission ...

HighlightThe Role of Maternal Age in Childhood Outcomes

Bélinda Ibrahim 24/07 22:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Mothers Motherhood Babies Pregnancies

The stereotype is persistent: older mothers are inevitably more tired, less patient and out of touch with a digital generation they do not understand. But a closer look at the data tells a different story. Over the past decade, several longitudinal studies have reached a surprising conclusion: children born to mothers over the age of 35 tend to ...

HighlightPregnancy Denial: Society’s Blind Spot on Invisible Motherhood

Bélinda Ibrahim 24/07 22:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Motherhood Women Pregnancies Babies

In the popular imagination, pregnancy is visible, joyful, and shared. A growing belly, ultrasound photos, the first baby clothes. It is something openly embraced, often proudly displayed. So how is it possible that a woman could carry a child to term without knowing it? And even more unsettling, that no one around her - not her family, friends, or ...

HighlightThe Postpartum Body: Time to Face the Truth

Bélinda Ibrahim 24/07 22:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Motherhood Pregnancies Mothers Babies

“So, have you got your body back yet?” The question comes quickly, sometimes even before a mother leaves the maternity ward. It comes from relatives, coworkers and influencers in tight leggings, as if the female body, after the feat of giving birth, is expected to quietly return to its original state. The timeframe given? Six weeks – the ...

HighlightPregnancy Denial: The Motherhood Doctors Miss

Bélinda Ibrahim 24/07 22:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Motherhood Babies Pregnancies Mothers

A clinical enigma, pregnancy denial poses a troubling question: how can a pregnancy remain completely hidden, sometimes right up to delivery? This is the story of what medicine perceives, what it overlooks, and how far the body can go to remain silent. “She came in that day for back pain.” Dr. Alain B., a gynecologist-obstetrician with over ...

HighlightLate Pregnancy: The Unseen Joy and Unspoken Anxiety

Bélinda Ibrahim 24/07 22:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Women Motherhood Pregnancies Babies

For many women, becoming pregnant at 36, 39 or 42 is rarely accidental. Pregnancy after 35 often comes after careful consideration: a settled career, a stable relationship or a chosen solitude. This journey can be marked by challenges such as miscarriages, IVF, loss and sacrifice. Late motherhood is often seen as a privilege, almost a miracle, ...