Nazism was a society-wide catastrophe for Germany, but some professions deserve more blame than others. In particular, there was a... more

When Charles Dickens published Bleak House in 1852, he included a scene where one character spontaneously combusts. 🔥 🔥 🔥... more

It was one the largest epidemics in American history: 30,000 people paralyzed over a few months in 1930. A dogged... more

Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance—a wonder of the modern age, due to its role in stopping the fires... more

Rickets was once a devastating disease: up to 90 percent of the children showed symptoms in some cities, including bent... more

Leonard Darwin had a lot to live up to. He was the son of the legendary Charles, and several siblings... more

A young woman in the mid-1900s couldn’t take an at-home pregnancy test. Instead, she sent a vial of urine to... more

After scientists had a handle on how many chromosomes humans have, other researchers began exploring whether certain ailments might be caused... more

It seems like a simple question: how many chromosomes do human beings have? But getting an accurate count proved surprisingly... more

The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation... more