Medicine

In the garden, Levisticum is a tall plant with dark leaves and greenish-yellow flowers. Under a microscope, however, it can morph into a cellular rainbow. This image was made using polarized light to enhance contrast. Waves in polarized light share an orientation, and special filters can block out any unpolarized waves and make the fine details easier to see.

New Exhibit Showcases the Power of Light in Our Everyday Lives

The open-source show "LIGHT: Beyond the Bulb" crosses disciplines to show the many ways photonics has improved our lives

A nurse at the ELWA Ebola Treatment Unit in Monrovia, Liberia, picks up disinfected boots

There Aren’t Enough Patients for Ebola Drug’s First Clinical Trial

The developer called a halt after fewer than 10 people had been treated in the trial’s first month

Your big toe is an example of how "boundary conditions" can affect the curvature of a nail.

Toenail Physics Explains Why Big Toes Are More Likely to Suffer Ingrown Nails

The delicate balancing act between stresses of growth and adhesion can help demystify some painful nail disorders

Meet the Friendly Virus That Might Actually Be Good For You

Many people carry it, but it doesn’t make you sick and could actually fight against viruses like HIV and Ebola

A skull shows evidence of trepanation, an early form of neurosurgery that called for a hole cut into the skull.

Scientists Try Out 2,300-Year-Old Brain Surgery Techniques

Experiments conducted by a Siberian research team shed light on the neurosurgical methods evident in three Iron Age skulls

This temporary tattoo could save diabetics from the daily annoyance of pin pricks to their fingers.

Hacking the Human Body With Temporary Tattoos and Tiny Implants

Using electrical charges to treat diseases, from diabetes to obesity, is picking up speed

The Ohio Measles Outbreak Wasn’t Caused by "Anti-Vaxxers" But by an Amish Traveler

Blaming the anti-vaccination movement for an uptick in measles is oversimplification

Why “Expensive” Medicines Might Actually Work Better

Perceived cost might influence drugs’ benefits

SIRUM has facilitated the redistribution of 1 million pills to safety-net clinics to help serve about 20,000 patients in need.

Three Stanford Graduates Are Matching Unused Prescriptions With Patients Who Need Them

Unopened drugs—billions of dollars worth—are trashed in this country each year. What if they instead went to the 50 million who can't afford them?

The 2014-15 flu vaccine is here, but the CDC warns that it's not as effective as hoped.

A Universal Flu Vaccine May Be On the Horizon

Choosing the viral targets for the seasonal flu vaccine is a gamble. Sometimes, like this year, the flu wins

Young Blood Rejuvenates Older Tissues

Experiments in surgically joined lab animals that share blood have inspired anti-aging hopes

Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneer of women in medicine.

The First Woman in America to Receive an M.D. Was Admitted to Med School as a Joke

When the students at Geneva Medical College voted in jest to admit a woman, they unwittingly paved the way for Elizabeth Blackwell’s trailblazing career

In an illustration unrelated to the study from the University of California, one kind of nano-bot is depicted in the bloodstream.

Scientists Test Out Tiny Robots Meant to Travel Inside a Human Body

The first test of micro-machines on a living mouse marks a breakthrough in the field of nano-robotics

The Eko Core Bluetooth-enabled stethoscope accessory will let doctors share heart sounds for virtual consultations.

This Smart Stethoscope Attachment Could Lead to More Accurate Diagnoses

Eko Core clips on to existing stethoscopes and lets physicians share heart sounds through their smartphones and the Web

The Doctor Who Introduced the Virtues of Hand Washing Died of an Infection

A sad fate: Ignes Semmelweis, a maternity doctor who fought for hospital sanitation, died of sepsis

Bayard Holmes as a medical student

Two Men Tried To Cure Schizophrenia by Removing Their Patients’ Intestines

Bayard Holmes and Henry Cotton were separated by a generation, but both thought that mental illness arose from toxins produced within the body

Nurses who work rotating shifts are at greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer than workers who stick with a nine-to-five schedule.

Five Years of Night Shift Work Elevate a Person's Risk of Death

Working inconsistent hours is bad for your health, according to researchers who studied 75,000 U.S. nurses

Spores on the conidiophores of the fungus Penicillium notatum.

We Used to Recycle Drugs From Patients' Urine

Penicillin extracted from a patient's urine could be reused

Arachnophobia, coral reefs, artificial cells and strange amphibians starred in some of this year's science finds you might have missed.

Ten Cool Science Stories You May Have Missed in 2014

ICYMI, there's a newfound coral reef in Iraq, the smallest force has been detected and more in this year's surprising science

Puberty Is Beginning Earlier in Girls, So What Can Parents Do?

The authors of a new book about the earlier onset of female puberty explain the evidence and offer advice

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