The following excerpt from Off the Top of My Head: Stories from the Operating Room That Will Make You Laugh (Or Cry) by Dr. Barbara Lazio has been run with permission Was This the Life You Wanted Saved? “Show me two fingers,” I shouted, too close to his ear, as if trying to wake one
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. JORGE GARAY: AI BioDesign seeks to explore possible molecules and biological functions that have never existed in nature. Are there any particular risks involved in venturing into this uncharted territory? How can scientists anticipate those risks and what steps can they take to minimize them before
Achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think. That’s the motto of the Ig Nobel Prizes, an annual competition that—parodying the Nobel Prizes—recognizes some of the world’s most unusual scientific studies. The organization Improbable Research has been hosting the event since 1991 with the aim of showing that science also has a
Cyclospora, the parasite that’s been wreaking havoc in people’s digestive systems over the past month, starts with a single cell. The parasite passes through human intestines to reproduce. Their complex biology contributes to why it’s so hard to kick, leading to infections that can last for weeks or months. Transcript SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST: Over the
the idea that Cancer could behave like a contagious disease may seem absurd; In humans, cancer cannot be transmitted from one person to another. However, nature is still full of surprises. In rare cases, the cancer cells themselves can pass from one individual to another and continue to multiply in a new host. This rare
Mushroom hunting is cool and fun, but you know what’s not cool and fun? Make slugs or other mushroom hunters discover your secret place. Or, worst of all, accidentally picking the wrong type of mushroom that could make you very sick or worse. Ideally, you should be able to grow your favorite type of mushroom
