Health | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/health/RSS feed for HealthenMon, 20 Jul 2026 19:35:28 +0000A Man With Paralysis Has Regained Feeling and Movement in His Hands After an Experimental Brain Implanthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-with-paralysis-has-regained-feeling-and-movement-in-his-hands-after-an-experimental-brain-implant-180989156/After months of training, the patient can now move his arms and hands and feel the sensation of touchMon, 20 Jul 2026 19:35:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-with-paralysis-has-regained-feeling-and-movement-in-his-hands-after-an-experimental-brain-implant-180989156/Smartphones Might Be Playing a Role in the United States' Declining Birth Rate, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/Some economists suspect that the technology's widespread adoption has reduced in-person interactions and increased access to pornography and information on birth control, leading to less unprotected sexThu, 16 Jul 2026 16:05:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/Cancer Cases Are Expected to Nearly Double by 2050, Warns the WHO. Low-Income Countries Will Be Disproportionately Affectedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-cases-are-expected-to-nearly-double-by-2050-warns-the-who-low-income-countries-will-be-disproportionately-affected-180989102/In a new report, the World Health Organization predicts that new annual diagnoses will rise from about 20.6 million today to almost 35 million by 2050. The biggest increases will be in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean regionMon, 13 Jul 2026 15:44:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-cases-are-expected-to-nearly-double-by-2050-warns-the-who-low-income-countries-will-be-disproportionately-affected-180989102/Cases of a Parasitic Infection That Can Cause Diarrhea for Weeks Are Rapidly Rising in the U.S. Here's What to Knowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/The illness is caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads via food or water contaminated with feces, usually on farms. Health officials are still investigating the source of the multistate outbreakFri, 10 Jul 2026 19:26:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/This Building Hosted Lincoln's Inaugural Ball and Displayed the Declaration of Independence. Today, It's Home to Two World-Class Art Museumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-building-hosted-lincolns-inaugural-ball-and-displayed-the-declaration-of-independence-today-its-home-to-two-world-class-art-museums-180988990/The Old Patent Office Building now houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. A new exhibition spotlights the structure's rich history of encouraging innovationThu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-building-hosted-lincolns-inaugural-ball-and-displayed-the-declaration-of-independence-today-its-home-to-two-world-class-art-museums-180988990/Can Printed 'Skin' Heal Burns and Prevent Scars?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/can-printed-skin-heal-burns-and-prevent-scars-180989000/Inks created with a patient’s own cells may one day help the body regrow tissuesWed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/can-printed-skin-heal-burns-and-prevent-scars-180989000/These Butterflies Can Live 25 Times Longer Than Their Relatives. They Might Provide Insights Into Healthy Aging in Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-butterflies-can-live-25-times-longer-than-their-relatives-they-might-provide-insights-into-healthy-aging-in-humans-180988993/Their unusual diet of pollen—rather than nectar—might partially explain why members of the Heliconius genus live so long, up to nearly a yearTue, 23 Jun 2026 15:47:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-butterflies-can-live-25-times-longer-than-their-relatives-they-might-provide-insights-into-healthy-aging-in-humans-180988993/Scientists Are Using Nanomaterials to Heal Stubborn Wounds That Resist Antibiotic Treatmenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/scientists-are-using-nanomaterials-to-heal-stubborn-wounds-that-resist-antibiotic-treatment-180988972/Light-activated therapies may offer a solution to slow-healing lesions common in diabetics and burn victimsWed, 17 Jun 2026 16:36:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/scientists-are-using-nanomaterials-to-heal-stubborn-wounds-that-resist-antibiotic-treatment-180988972/This 'Practice-Changing' Gene Test Could Tell Doctors Which Patients With Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemo, Clinical Trial Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-practice-changing-gene-test-could-tell-doctors-which-patients-with-breast-cancer-can-skip-chemo-clinical-trial-suggests-180988957/Chemotherapy comes with debilitating side effects, including brain fog, nausea and nerve damage. New research suggests that many people with a common type of breast cancer need just radiation and hormone therapy to prevent recurrenceWed, 17 Jun 2026 14:01:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-practice-changing-gene-test-could-tell-doctors-which-patients-with-breast-cancer-can-skip-chemo-clinical-trial-suggests-180988957/Stay Up Late and Admire the Cosmos With This New ‘Stargazing Trail’ That Links Certified Dark Sky Destinationshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stary-up-late-and-admire-the-cosmos-with-this-new-stargazing-trail-that-links-certified-dark-sky-destinations-180988953/The initiative debuts as Colorado gears up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its statehoodFri, 12 Jun 2026 21:29:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stary-up-late-and-admire-the-cosmos-with-this-new-stargazing-trail-that-links-certified-dark-sky-destinations-180988953/Working From Home Is Making People Lonelier and Worsening Mental Health, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/working-from-home-is-making-people-lonelier-and-worsening-mental-health-a-study-suggests-180988938/The findings do not mean that in-office mandates are a fix, experts say. Instead, workplaces should have flexible policies that allow employees to choose where they’d like to workFri, 12 Jun 2026 19:40:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/working-from-home-is-making-people-lonelier-and-worsening-mental-health-a-study-suggests-180988938/Scientists Invented a Disease to Test Whether A.I. Knew It Was Fake. Then, Chatbots Started Saying It Was Realhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-invented-a-disease-to-test-whether-ai-knew-it-was-fake-then-chatbots-started-saying-it-was-real-180988924/The eye condition bixonimania doesn't exist, but neither bots nor some researchers caught that the content was fabricated—despite obvious cluesThu, 11 Jun 2026 17:59:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-invented-a-disease-to-test-whether-ai-knew-it-was-fake-then-chatbots-started-saying-it-was-real-180988924/This Playful Interactive Reveals the Medical Advances That Have Made Life Better … and Sometimes Longerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-playful-interactive-reveals-the-medical-advances-that-have-made-life-better-and-sometimes-longer-180988867/From replacing lost limbs to helping a heart find its rhythm, the work of American doctors and researchers has improved lives in incalculable waysFri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-playful-interactive-reveals-the-medical-advances-that-have-made-life-better-and-sometimes-longer-180988867/When the Fear of Polio Gripped the World, Jonas Salk’s Determination Led to a Liberating Medical Breakthroughhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/when-fear-polio-gripped-world-jonas-salk-determination-led-liberating-medical-breakthrough-180988798/The son of the doctor, himself now a physician and researcher, recalls his vaccination in the kitchen as painless. Now, he recounts the impact of the work his father ledThu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/when-fear-polio-gripped-world-jonas-salk-determination-led-liberating-medical-breakthrough-180988798/These Experimental Ebola Treatments and Vaccines Might Help Slow the Outbreak Spreading in Congo and Uganda, WHO Sayshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-experimental-ebola-treatments-and-vaccines-might-help-slow-the-outbreak-spreading-in-the-congo-and-uganda-who-says-180988872/No approved therapeutics exist for the virus species causing the outbreak, which has been associated with more than 1,000 cases of Ebola. The World Health Organization has identified several therapeutics to test in clinical trials in the coming monthsTue, 02 Jun 2026 16:11:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-experimental-ebola-treatments-and-vaccines-might-help-slow-the-outbreak-spreading-in-the-congo-and-uganda-who-says-180988872/The Gin and Tonic Is a Cocktail With a Storied History. Don't Overlook Scotland's Connection to the Classichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/gin-and-tonic-is-a-cocktail-with-a-storied-history-dont-overlook-scotlands-connection-to-the-classic-180988875/The country’s scientists, doctors, merchants and distillers all played significant roles in transforming the simple combination that packs a complicated mythologyTue, 02 Jun 2026 14:23:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/gin-and-tonic-is-a-cocktail-with-a-storied-history-dont-overlook-scotlands-connection-to-the-classic-180988875/Could Bug Spray Attract Mosquitoes? Lab Insects Learned That the Smell of DEET Would Lead Them to a Tasty Treathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-bug-spray-attract-mosquitoes-lab-insects-learned-that-the-smell-of-deet-would-lead-them-to-a-tasty-treat-180988866/Researchers don't know how the findings might overlap with real-world settings. But the discovery suggests that we're most vulnerable when our insect repellent is wearing off, meaning we should reapply it regularlyMon, 01 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-bug-spray-attract-mosquitoes-lab-insects-learned-that-the-smell-of-deet-would-lead-them-to-a-tasty-treat-180988866/This Pill Can Prevent You From Getting Covid-19 After Exposure to the Disease-Causing Virus, According to a Clinical Trialhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-pill-can-prevent-you-from-getting-covid-19-after-exposure-to-thedisease-causing-virus-according-to-a-clinical-trial-180988784/The drug showed promising results in an international study involving nearly 2,400 participants, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make an approval decision for it in JuneFri, 22 May 2026 17:53:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-pill-can-prevent-you-from-getting-covid-19-after-exposure-to-thedisease-causing-virus-according-to-a-clinical-trial-180988784/