medicine

The Horrifying Crimes Of Michael Swango, The Doctor Believed To Have Murdered 60 Of His Patients

Michael Swango was found guilty of murdering four patients in 2000, but investigators suspect that he may have actually had dozens more victims.

By Rivy Lyon • Jun 14, 2025

The Horrifying Crimes Of Michael Swango, The Doctor Believed To Have Murdered 60 Of His Patients

Michael Swango was found guilty of murdering four patients in 2000, but investigators suspect that he may have actually had dozens more victims.

By Rivy Lyon • June 14, 2025

Isaac Newton Proposed Using Lozenges Made Of Toad Vomit To Cure The Bubonic Plague

Isaac Newton was still a student when an outbreak hit London in 1665 — and he became obsessed with the disease.

By Marco Margaritoff • Jun 9, 2025

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Isaac Newton Proposed Using Lozenges Made Of Toad Vomit To Cure The Bubonic Plague

Isaac Newton was still a student when an outbreak hit London in 1665 — and he became obsessed with the disease.

By Marco Margaritoff • June 9, 2025

The History Of Encephalitis Lethargica, The Bizarre ‘Sleepy Sickness’ That Plagued The World In The Early 20th Century

First described by neurologist Constantin von Economo in 1917, encephalitis lethargica infected more than 1 million people — and killed an estimated 500,000.

By Austin Harvey • May 22, 2025

The History Of Encephalitis Lethargica, The Bizarre ‘Sleepy Sickness’ That Plagued The World In The Early 20th Century

First described by neurologist Constantin von Economo in 1917, encephalitis lethargica infected more than 1 million people — and killed an estimated 500,000.

By Austin Harvey • May 22, 2025

Scientists Are Working To Create A Universal Antivenom — And It’s All Thanks To A Wisconsin Man Who Let Venomous Snakes Bite Him Over 200 Times

Tim Friede has subjected himself to more than 700 doses of lethal snake venom and 200 actual snakebites over the past two decades. Now, his antibodies may lead to a universal antivenom.

By Austin Harvey • May 8, 2025

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Scientists Are Working To Create A Universal Antivenom — And It’s All Thanks To A Wisconsin Man Who Let Venomous Snakes Bite Him Over 200 Times

Tim Friede has subjected himself to more than 700 doses of lethal snake venom and 200 actual snakebites over the past two decades. Now, his antibodies may lead to a universal antivenom.

By Austin Harvey • May 8, 2025

Inside The Disturbing Story Of Walter Freeman, The Doctor Who Killed Hundreds With His Lobotomies

Neurologist Walter Freeman introduced the lobotomy to the United States in 1936, but over the next three decades, the controversial procedure left an estimated 490 of his patients dead and permanently disabled many others.

By John Kuroski • Mar 30, 2025

Inside The Disturbing Story Of Walter Freeman, The Doctor Who Killed Hundreds With His Lobotomies

Neurologist Walter Freeman introduced the lobotomy to the United States in 1936, but over the next three decades, the controversial procedure left an estimated 490 of his patients dead and permanently disabled many others.

By John Kuroski • March 30, 2025

The Bizarre Story Of How The Term ‘Snake Oil’ Came To Describe A Quack Remedy

At the turn of the 20th century, a scam artist named Clark Stanley advertised bottles of rattlesnake oil that purportedly treated everything from arthritis to sore throats — but the product was really just mineral oil and beef fat.

By Genevieve Carlton • Mar 21, 2025

The Bizarre Story Of How The Term ‘Snake Oil’ Came To Describe A Quack Remedy

At the turn of the 20th century, a scam artist named Clark Stanley advertised bottles of rattlesnake oil that purportedly treated everything from arthritis to sore throats — but the product was really just mineral oil and beef fat.

By Genevieve Carlton • March 21, 2025

The Heroic Story Of James Harrison, The Australian Man Whose 1,173 Blood Donations Saved The Lives Of 2.4 Million Babies

Before dying at age 88 on February 17, 2025, James Harrison donated blood regularly for six decades, saving millions of babies from the fatal disease Rhesus D thanks to a rare antibody in his plasma.

By Amber Morgan • Mar 4, 2025

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The Heroic Story Of James Harrison, The Australian Man Whose 1,173 Blood Donations Saved The Lives Of 2.4 Million Babies

Before dying at age 88 on February 17, 2025, James Harrison donated blood regularly for six decades, saving millions of babies from the fatal disease Rhesus D thanks to a rare antibody in his plasma.

By Amber Morgan • March 4, 2025

Belle Gibson, The Australian Wellness Influencer Who Lied About Having Cancer To Scam Her Followers

In 2015, 23-year-old Belle Gibson was the head of a wellness empire she'd built after claiming she'd cured her inoperable brain tumor with a healthy diet and alternative medicine — but it all came crashing down when an investigation revealed she'd never had cancer at all.

By Austin Harvey • Feb 6, 2025

Belle Gibson, The Australian Wellness Influencer Who Lied About Having Cancer To Scam Her Followers

In 2015, 23-year-old Belle Gibson was the head of a wellness empire she'd built after claiming she'd cured her inoperable brain tumor with a healthy diet and alternative medicine — but it all came crashing down when an investigation revealed she'd never had cancer at all.

By Austin Harvey • February 6, 2025

The Trippy History Of Albert Hofmann, Bicycle Day, And The Invention Of LSD

Albert Hofmann accidentally invented LSD in 1938 — and years later, he became the first person to intentionally trip on acid when he took 250 micrograms of LSD and biked home while experiencing the drug's full psychedelic effects.

By Amber Morgan • Dec 29, 2024

The Trippy History Of Albert Hofmann, Bicycle Day, And The Invention Of LSD

Albert Hofmann accidentally invented LSD in 1938 — and years later, he became the first person to intentionally trip on acid when he took 250 micrograms of LSD and biked home while experiencing the drug's full psychedelic effects.

By Amber Morgan • December 29, 2024

Rosemary Kennedy, JFK’s Sister Who Was Lobotomized And Locked Away

After being lobotomized in 1941 at 23 years old, Rosemary Kennedy would spend the rest of her life institutionalized and isolated from her family.

By Katie Serena • Nov 2, 2024

Rosemary Kennedy, JFK’s Sister Who Was Lobotomized And Locked Away

After being lobotomized in 1941 at 23 years old, Rosemary Kennedy would spend the rest of her life institutionalized and isolated from her family.

By Katie Serena • November 2, 2024