A Science Reader for COVID-19
Covering concepts from spillover to virus mutation, this collection of free-to-access readings provides scientific context around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharks Before and After Jaws
The blockbuster Jaws (1975) provoked fear by portraying sharks as "mindless eating machines." But what did people think of sharks before then?
What Happened to U.S. Public Health?
After the Civil War, support for public health measures was high. Now, some people blast them as part of the "nanny state."
Choosing Love over Eugenics
Some writers see contagion as a metaphor for community—proof that we exist within an interdependent network and not as autonomous disconnected islands.
Plant of the Month: Peony
Peony's effectiveness as an ancient cure translated into a tool of statecraft in the eighteenth century.
How Will a Coronavirus Vaccine Work?
Four different ways researchers use the virus's own structure to train our immune systems to exterminate it.
The Surgeons Who Said No to Gloves
In the late 1800s, doctors in German-speaking countries were having trouble agreeing on one simple thing: whether to wear gloves during surgery.
Before Vaccines, Variolation Was Seriously Trendy
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu is credited with popularizing variolation among the aristocracy in England.
The Trouble with Nursing Homes
From the almshouse to the nursing home, has long-term care for seniors been destined to fail?