MEDICINE

The act of scraping nails down a chalkboard creates a sound so awful that most people have an instantaneous reaction: A shiver runs up the spine, and they slap their hands over their ears. Anything to block out that noise! But why do unpleasant sounds af

Rubella Virus. Wikimedia CommonsAlmost everyone is familiar with the measles and mumps, but the 'R' in the MMR vaccine might not ring a bell. Here's the lowdown.Discovery and SymptomsRubella is a disease caused by a virus of the same name. It can be sprea

The legendary monsters series continues with some scary stories from Africa. There are so many nations and discrete communities in Africa that the problem here was not finding the legendary stories, but whittling down the list to a manageable number.1.

Humanity spent the last hundred years virtually eradicating some of the planet’s most unpleasant diseases. But some of them have started showing up again.

In honor of National Doctor’s Day, here’s a look at all the ways the job has changed—but mostly stayed the same. Images all courtesy of The Library of Congress. Exams The long wait, examination bed, fluorescent lights, they're all the same today as they

In many ways, the Red Cross is still largely the same as it was throughout the past 150 years, performing blood drives, delivering care packages to prisoners of war, helping victims of natural disasters, and rescuing those injured on the battlefield. In h

It's been said that dogs will eat anything, whether it tastes good or not, and regardless of whether it is edible. Some dogs not only eat weird things, but they eat as much of it as they can. Here are eight recent stories that illustrate that point. Rubbe

Today's insomnia cures are slightly more scientific than the back in the day. But they're also less interesting, which is why we've rounded up some of the weirder insomnia treatments handed down through the ages. From what to rub on your feet, to what to

In 2008, surgeons completed two procedures that could forever change transplant surgery. In August, doctors in Munich announced that a farmer was recovering from a double-arm transplant—the first double-arm transplant in the world. In December, the

You're gnawing on something for one reason or another, and sometimes instinct takes over and -whoops- you've swallowed it! If an inedible object is small enough and somewhat round (coins and stones), it will often pass through the digestive system on its

Amputee animals have a hard life. In the last few years, more and more disabled creatures of different species are being helped by modern technology, and by the researchers and volunteers who go the extra mile. Fuji's Rubber

First, we need to make a distinction between the two main classes of painkillers, which are used for different situations and function via different mechanisms. The first class is the narcotic opioid drugs. These are the heavy-duty drugs, like morphine a