Mental Floss

MEDICINE

A doctor draws blood from one of the study’s subjects.

In September 1932, Public Health Service officials recruited 600 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, to receive treatment for “bad blood.” The men had no idea they had become unwitting participants in one of the most controversial medical studies in recent ti

Beth Colman
Epidemiologists are fans of charts.

Maybe you know what the definition of ‘epidemiology’ is, but do you know what epidemiologists actually do?

Ellen Gutoskey








Ridofranz, iStock via Getty Images

Dozens of children and young adults who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies are developing a mystery illness that shares symptoms with Kawasaki disease.

Michele Debczak








"See you when the pandemic's over!"

The non-stop news about coronavirus and COVID-19 can cause a lot of anxiety. Here's our weekly digest of useful information, uplifting stories, and surprising tidbits to help you cope during the pandemic.

Kat Long








Diy13/iStock via Getty Images

A couple of long-suffering scientists from Australia donated their time—and their gas—to figuring out whether farts can spread disease.

Hannah McDonald