Diseases

Groundbreaking research on COVID-19, cancer, diabetes, and other health concerns.

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A cross section of a dog's heart showing heartworm

This deadly dog ‘spaghetti’ has ancient origins

By Laura Baisas

a mosquito drinking human blood

Without forests, mosquitoes turn to human blood

Depiction of the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, Death, riding a mythical creature, presumably a winged lion. Below him is a personification of famine (Fames), pointing to her open mouth. The depiction was created in Erfurt in the mid-14th century; the connection to Neuses may be drawn due to the date – St. Mark’s Day – of the annual memorial procession leading to the mass grave. Source: Klassik-Stiftung Weimar

Medieval plague victims likely found in mass grave in Germany

A white woman cracks her fingers. She has muted purple nail polish on and a muted purple blouse on, too.

Is cracking your knuckles really bad for them?

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

pills of various sizes laid out in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink order

Addiction is puzzling. Scientists are trying to understand why.

By Hanna Pickard

a block calendar with january 1 and the word "dry" on it

The health benefits of Dry January

a firefly glowing on a black background

‘Hope in a bottle’ for a deadly cancer and the firefly gene that lit the way

roman ruins in northern england

Diarrhea slowed down Roman soldiers

By Laura Baisas

several cheeses on a wooden board

Brie, cheddar, and other high-fat cheeses linked to lower dementia risk

By Laura Baisas

Photograph of the fresco Trionfo della Morte, taken at its original location in the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa. The fresco, known as the “Triumph of Death” and attributed to the painter Buonamico Buffalmacco, is not precisely dated; scholarly estimates range from 1335 to 1350. While it does not depict the Black Death explicitly, the selected detail shows victims of an epidemic from diverse social backgrounds, their souls carried off by demons.

Medieval volcanoes may have ignited the Black Death

Arm in noninvasive glucose monitoring device

Goodbye, finger pricks? Diabetes patients could monitor glucose with lightwaves.

A vibrant, digital illustration of a glowing DNA double helix structure against a dark blue background. The helix is composed of numerous small, multicolored, light-filled blocks and lines that represent the genetic code.

How scientists analyze ancient DNA from old bones

Drone carrying AED in midair

Drones are delivering life-saving defibrillators to 911 calls

Scanning electron microscopy image of the engineered 3D bone marrow tissue colonized with human blood cells (red). Andrés García García, University of Basel, Department of Biomedicine

New lab-made bone marrow model is a bioengineering first

By Laura Baisas

A plate filled with a traditional holiday meal, featuring sliced roasted turkey breast, a scoop of stuffing, green beans, diced sweet potatoes, and a spoonful of cranberry sauce, all resting on a white plate set on a rustic wooden table.

Can one big meal really make you gain weight?

By Jennifer Byrne

Microrobot capsule on tip of finger close up

These tiny robots swim through your blood to fight strokes

V0015163ER Two hooded figures and a King grieve over a dead person whil Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Two hooded figures and a King grieve over a dead person while another masked figure comes to cleanse the room of the plague. Woodcut by V. Solis. Published: - Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Centuries of Black Death misinformation started with a poem

A vintage photo collage featuring an oval cut-out image of seven people—three men and four women, who appear to be young college students—dressed in 1920s-era clothing. They are standing close together and looking at the camera. The background is a texture of yellowed, old newsprint with blurred text about a sleep experiment.

In 1925, seven students went 60 hours without sleep—for science

By Bill Gourgey

Side-by-side of a coiled green mamba and a white llama

The secret ingredient in a snake antivenom? Llamas.

a dolphin blowing bubbles under water

Dolphins may be getting an Alzheimer’s-like disease due to this neurotoxin

By Margherita Bassi