Medicine

The final facial reconstruction depicting John Barber, 55

Scientists Reconstruct Face of 19th-Century Man Accused of Being a Vampire

He was a victim of tuberculosis—and a target of the vampire panic that swept through New England

Human red blood cells at 1,000 times magnification. 

Scientists Perform First Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood

A clinical trial is testing how lab-grown cells might help patients with blood disorders and rare blood types

Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, a species of psychedelic mushrooms

Psychedelic Mushroom Chemical May Help Treat Depression

A new study found the drug temporarily relieved symptoms for some patients, but it needs to be tested in larger and longer trials, experts say

Magic was just another tool in a medieval animal healer's toolbox.

The Veterinary Magic of the Middle Ages

Medieval healers treated animals' ailments with a mix of faith, tradition and science

Illustration of Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria

Could a Morning-After Pill Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections?

San Francisco has formally recommended doxyPEP, which works like Plan B but targets STIs

Researchers detected toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, benzene and other harmful compounds in samples from unlit gas stoves.

Gas Stoves Are Leaking Toxins Into California Homes

Researchers found cancer-causing benzene and other air pollutants in samples from 159 Golden State residences

By preserving bodies at below-freezing temperatures, Alcor's goal is “restoring good health with medical technology in the future.”

200 Frozen Heads and Bodies Await Revival at This Arizona Cryonics Facility

The human cryopreservation project faces skepticism from medical and legal authorities

Computer illustration of Naegleria fowleri 

Boy Dies From a Brain-Eating Amoeba After Exposure at Lake Mead

This is the third fatal case in the U.S. this year

As of October 19, 10,991 people are waiting for a liver in the United States. Further research into long-lasting livers could expand the transplant pool.

Transplanted Livers Can Survive Past 100

These organs that live for more than a century could raise the age of potential donors, perhaps shortening waits for the life-saving procedure

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Can This New A.I. Tool Help Detect Blood Poisoning?

The algorithm scans electronic records and may reduce sepsis deaths, but widespread adoption could be a challenge

RoboCap compared to the size of a penny

Robotic Pill Aims to Replace Insulin Shots, Injected Antibiotics

The capsule withstands stomach acid and drills through mucus to deliver medication to the gut

Researchers at Northwestern University examined the brains of six super-agers.

'Super-Agers' Might Have Super Neurons

Elderly people with exceptional memories have larger neurons in a brain area responsible for recollection

Svante Pääbo poses with a model of a Neanderthal skeleton after winning the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Svante Pääbo Wins Nobel Prize for Unraveling the Mysteries of Neanderthal DNA

The Swedish geneticist used 40,000-year-old bones to sequence the early humans' genome

Dementia affects an estimated 55 million people around the world. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.

Alzheimer's Drug Shows 'Most Encouraging Results' Yet in Clinical Trial

The medication aims to clear destructive plaque from the brain and slow cognitive decline

The Brussels City Museum, one of the institutions participating in the pilot program

Doctors in Brussels Are Prescribing Free Museum Visits

To boost mental health, one of Brussels' largest hospitals is testing the program in a six-month trial

A pharmacist prepares to administer a Covid-19 booster shot to help protect a patient against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

Four Big Questions About the New Covid-19 Boosters, Answered

The FDA and CDC recently recommended new boosters to target the Omicron subvariants. Here’s what you need to know about them.

The da Vinci surgical robot, shown here on a US Navy hospital ship, is one of the most widely used devices to assist doctors in laparoscopic surgery. The procedure — in which tools are inserted through tiny holes in the abdomen instead of cutting a long incision — allows patients to recover more quickly.

The Past, Present and Future of Robotic Surgery

After decades of merely assisting doctors, are sophisticated machines ready to take charge?

Scientists developed a skin swab test to detect Parkinson's disease within about three minutes.

Woman Who Can Smell Parkinson’s Helps Develop a Skin Swab Diagnostic Test

The test, which would be the first of its kind for this disease, can make a diagnosis in about three minutes

The uncovered skeleton shows where the lower left leg was amputated at the tibia and fibula.

Earliest Known Amputation Was Performed in Borneo 31,000 Years Ago

Prehistoric hunter gatherers carried out the surgery thousands of years before the previous recognized example

Against all the odds—of her sex, ethnicity and time—Seacole would launch herself into the heart of the war effort, and with it earn herself a unique place in the British public’s consciousness.

A Historian's Quest to Unravel the Secrets of Mary Seacole, an Innovative, Long-Overlooked Black Nurse

During the Crimean War, the Jamaican businesswoman operated a storehouse and restaurant that offered food, supplies and medicine to British soldiers

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