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Science / Mind & Body

H1N1 influenza virus particles shown in a colorized transmission electron micrograph

The Next Pandemic

Scientists Are One Step Closer to a “Personalized” Flu Shot

While still decades away, new research shows how custom vaccines could be developed

Stanford scientists are building up an archive of mosquito sounds.

The Next Pandemic

Before You Swat That Mosquito, Record It on Your Cell Phone

That’s the strategy behind Abuzz, a crowdsourcing project designed to track mosquito activity around the world

Thought leaders gathered at the National Museum of Natural History to discuss the past, present and future of the flu.

The Next Pandemic

When the Next Pandemic Hits, Will We Be Prepared?

The question isn’t whether a pandemic will strike—it’s how it will play out.

Corpsmen in cap and gown ready to attend patients in influenza ward of US Naval Hospital in Mare Island, California, December 10, 1918.

The Next Pandemic

The United States Is Not Ready for Another Flu Pandemic

You might think that today, if a pandemic like the 1918 flu hit, we’d be ready for it. You’d be wrong

A demonstration at the Red Cross Emergency Ambulance Station in Washington, D.C., during the influenza pandemic of 1918

The Next Pandemic

Why Did the 1918 Flu Kill So Many Otherwise Healthy Young Adults?

Uncovering a World War I veteran’s story provided a genealogist and pharmacologist with some clues

The Next Pandemic

Watch: Experts Discuss “The Next Pandemic: Are We Prepared?”

Thought leaders gathered at the National Museum of Natural History on November 13 to discuss the past, present and future of the flu

An illustrated depiction of a scene of Lincoln lying in state

When You Die, You’ll Probably Be Embalmed. Thank Abraham Lincoln For That

The president was an “early adopter” of embalming technology, helping to bring the modern death industry to the mainstream

Does science support the idea that teens are more reckless and impulsive than their adult counterparts?

The Impulsive “Teen Brain” Isn’t Based in Science

Yes, adolescent brains crave novelty. But they have the cognitive control to go with it

El Greco: Apocalyptic Vision {The Vision of St. John)

Where Do New Ideas Come From?

With close study, the genealogies of even the most original ideas can be traced

Crews clean up debris in a neighborhood flooded by Hurricane Harvey in Beaumont, Texas, Sept. 26, 2017

The Next Pandemic

How Do Scientists Measure the Public Health Impacts of Natural Disasters?

In the wake of this year’s hurricanes, epidemiologists are assessing the effects of mold, toxic leaks and other threats

Scary pumpkins are the least of what frightens us at Halloween, a day devoted to being frightened.

What Happens in the Brain When We Feel Fear

And why some of us just can’t get enough of it

The molds responsible for aflatoxins grow on a number of staple crops, including corn, peanuts, millet, wheat, cottonseed and tree nuts.

Could Video Gamers Make Our Food Supply Safer?

An effort to combat poisonous molds that contaminate crops is looking to tap the puzzle-solving skills of amateur gamers

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The Next Pandemic

The Next Pandemic

With Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Museum of Natural History, we look at the past, present and future of the flu

A CDC scientist harvests H7N9 virus that has been grown for sharing with partner laboratories for research purposes.

The Next Pandemic

What’s In Your Flu Shot?

An influenza expert at Johns Hopkins University explains how the cocktail for this year’s flu vaccine was developed

Flu pandemics begin when novel animal viruses start spreading between people.

The Next Pandemic

How to Stop a Lethal Virus

With tens of millions of lives at stake, medical researchers are racing to create a revolutionary flu vaccine before the next devastating epidemic

A woman sells live poultry at the market in Gaosheng Township, where Long purchased chickens and later died from bird flu.

The Next Pandemic

Is China Ground Zero for a Future Pandemic?

Hundreds there have already died of a new bird flu, putting world health authorities on high alert

Daniel Kish is an expert in human echolocation and president of World Access for the Blind.

How Does Human Echolocation Work?

Blind since he was very young, Daniel Kish is the world’s foremost proponent of using vocal clicks to navigate

A cognitive scientist suggests that your baby learns from watching you struggle.

How Your Frustration Helps Your Baby Learn

Watching adults struggle with a difficult task can teach young children the value of hard work

Everyone sees them all, but we don’t all give them the same distinct names.

The World Has Millions of Colors. Why Do We Only Name a Few?

Cognitive scientists suggest that we name the colors of things we want to talk about

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