We’re Living in a Post-Antibiotic World
A new CDC report warns: “Stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era—it’s already here.” Contrast that to a 1944 article on the promise of penicillin.
An Epidemic of Retractions
Nicolas Chevassus-au-Louis's new book, Fraud in the Lab, offers some tough love for the scientific community.
Smart Toilets: The Jetpack of the Bathroom
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are envisioning a toilet that can analyze urine for indicators of disease.
Can Zapping Your Brain Really Make You Smarter?
Early scientific results on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) show promise, but are they enough to support a multi-billion-dollar industry?
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dates Back to the 1900s
Tofu Turkey was created in 1990, but some Americans celebrated Thanksgiving with veggie dishes over a century ago.
An Early Review of On the Origin of Species
"Darwin openly and almost scornfully repudiates the whole doctrine of Final Causes. He finds no indication of design or purpose anywhere..."
How Much Would You Pay for a Nonexistent Dress?
Not too long ago, digital-only clothing might have been decried as a scam. But our "extended selves" are increasingly invested in virtual goods.
Who Really Discovered How the Heart Works?
For centuries, the voice of the Greek doctor Galen, who held that blood is produced in the liver and filtered through tiny pores in the heart, went unchallenged.
What Happened to Tagging?
Tags decentralized and democratized the organization of information. What became of "social tagging?"
A History of Human Waste as Fertilizer
In eighteenth century Japan, human excrement played a vital role in agriculture. Can similar solutions help manage waste today?