This week, our editors recommend notable features and essays by Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Justin Heckert, Gloria Liu, Sharon Levy, and Mychal Denzel Smith.
medicine
Man of Culture
Punjabi microbiologist Surendra Nath Sehgal spent his life’s work studying a bacterium found in the soil on Easter Island. Called Rapamycin, it became a wonder drug, changing the lives of millions. “Uma, it’s a fantastic compound, it’s a miracle,” Sehgal would tell his wife during these early encounters. “Anything it touches gives good results.” Back […]
The Medical Power of Hypnosis
Does hypnosis really work? For BBC Future, Martha Henriques falls down a rabbit hole and explores hypnosis as a treatment for pain, anxiety, PTSD, and other conditions. For many people, it’s a regular occurrence to get lost in a good book, or become so absorbed in a film (perhaps even a Harry Potter film) it […]
How Ben Got His Penis
Phalloplasty, or the surgery to construct a penis, has grown increasingly popular among transgender men — but it’s medically complicated. Jamie Lauren Keiles takes a closer look at the procedure while following the transition of Benjamin Simpson. As Ben prepared for Stage 1 surgery, he told only his family and close friends. He knew that acceptance […]
To Study Zika, They Offered Their Kids. Then They Were Forgotten.
“Years after agreeing to take part in research, families of children with congenital Zika syndrome are feeling abandoned.”
A Personal History of the C-Section
“When my daughter’s delivery went off the script I had imagined, it made me wonder about what we ask from our birth stories.”
Is the Cure for Cancer Locked in Shrunken Heads from the Amazon?
Could shrunken heads from the Amazon hold the key to curing cancer?
The Digital Security Threat Inside Jameson Rich’s Body
“It’s a feeling instead of living as a guinea pig for an opaque set of private interests, and a feeling that I can’t trust an industry that would ever put unsecure devices inside patients in the first place.”
How Should We Talk About Suicide Online?
“People are dying after joining a “pro-choice” suicide forum. How much is the site to blame?”
The Strange and Twisted Tale of Hydroxychloroquine
“What happened with hydroxychloroquine was a debacle, but retelling the story might help avert the same kind of chaos next time around.”
