The above photograph, from 2007, shows a high-throughput cell culture robot. According to Wellcome Images: "Cells are cultured in the incubator on the right and …
Author: Julia James
Some good, some bad in the state of women’s health
There's good and bad news on the state of women's health research, according to a report released by the Institute of Medicine late last week. …
Image of the week: penicillin production, 20th century
The above image shows equipment (glass flasks and milk churns) used for making early forms of penicillin. Though Alexander Fleming is credited with having discovered …
Image of the week: woman-run X-ray department, 1934
The above photograph shows the X-ray department (control board, dosimeters, and windows for viewing patients and instruments) at the Marie Curie Hospital for Cancer and …
Image of the week: dental instruments, late 19th century
The above image shows a set of dental instruments from the late 19th century. It's No. 5 of 8 in a series showing the evolution …
Image of the week: brass corset, 19th century
The corset is infamous as an instrument of fashion and oppression. But the metal versions, like the one shown in the image above, are thought …
Image of the week: adjusting surgical couch, 1854
The above image shows an 1854 patent specification for an adjusting surgical couch, by Edmund Adolphus Kirby. The specification is part of the Wellcome Library's …
Image of the week: surgical instruments, 1561
The above image shows a drawing of surgical tools, from French surgeon Ambroise Paré's La methode curative des playes, et fractures de la teste humaine …
Out-of-office autoreply: Reaping the benefits of nature
In a few days, I'll be heading into the Sierras to backpack with a group of Japanese tourists. (Long story.) That means I'll be joining …
Fatherhood: a neuroscience perspective
How important is a dad in the life of his kid? How important is a kid in the life of his dad? I've given some …
High-quality chocolate linked to lower risk of heart failure
Women, there really is a God: A study released today found that some amount of chocolate consumption can be good for you. Harvard researchers tracking …
Stanford pediatrician on coping with others' crises
It's a phenomenon we've all seen or lived: One person's illness ripples through a social network, making second- and third-degree convalescents of family and friends. …
Study finds many teachers, doctors mistaking immaturity for ADHD
What drives the diagnosis of ADHD in kids? More than just severity of symptoms, certainly: income, race, educational attainment of parents and state residency all …
"Barefoot" running craze still going strong
Today, a bit of business news: CNN Money reports that Vibram FiveFingers, the shoeless shoes that fueled a "barefoot" running craze, have been so successful …
The pill works just as well for heavier women, study finds
"Overweight and on the pill? You might want to try backup contraception." That was advice issued five years back in U.S. News and World Report, …
Music that comes straight from the soul…er, DNA
I don't think art should be slave to knowledge, so I'm always skeptical when I hear about choreographers or composers basing their creations on scientific …