105 Items Tagged

Disease

Italian tombstone carver Luigi Brusa knew he was dying from silicosis when he had a friend carve his impressive granite tombstone, known as "The Dying Man."

The Tombstone Sculptor Who Carved His Own Death in Granite

Nestled in Vermont’s Hope Cemetery, ‘The Dying Man’ tells the tragic tale of the area’s Italian gravestone carvers.

Alice Levitt October 3, 2023

Podcast: The Ark of Citrus

A sweet archive of almost biblical proportions can be found at the University of California, Riverside.

The Podcast Team September 20, 2023

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans AIDS Memorial

The neighborhood surrounding the memorial was the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in Louisiana.

Podcast: APOPO Rats

An episode that might have you rethink your stance on the humble rat.

The Podcast Team August 16, 2023

Kimi-Chan

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.

Tuberculosis—or consumption, as it was known in the 1800s—was often associated with vampirism. Those suffering from the disease grew pale and weak, as seen in this photomontage from 1858.

The Real-Life Vampire Autopsies of the Victorian Era

When medicine and folklore collide, strange things happen.

April White October 14, 2022

Park of the Souls

Acharnes, Greece

Park of Souls

After a catastrophic forest fire, a Greek artist transformed scorched tree trunks outside an old sanatorium into this haunting sculpture garden.

Josefine Guerrero carried a map of the minefields in the north of occupied Manila to approaching U.S. troops.

The Invisible, Afflicted Spy Who Led the U.S. Army Into Occupied Manila

As a woman with leprosy, Josefina Guerrero was ignored by Japanese forces as she carried messages of resistance in World War II.

April White March 7, 2022

A tiger painted on a building in Thimphu; tigers are particularly revered in Bhutan.

In Bhutan, a Rare Tiger's Mysterious Illness Had a Surprising Source

Local vets collaborated with an international team to figure out why the animal was dazed and wandering near the capital city.

Madeline Bodin February 23, 2022

Podcast: International Cocoa Quarantine Center

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team February 14, 2022

medical museums

Podcast: Centers for Disease Control Museum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team December 2, 2021

The Hyrtl Skull Collection isn't just medical history. Scientists continue to study the bones today.

anatomy museums

The Eventful Afterlife of a Crowd of 19th-Century Skulls

Philadelphia’s famed anatomy showplace, the Mütter Museum, gets a facelift.

April White October 18, 2021

Long before vampires were cartoon characters and even love interests, they were seen as diseased, demonic creatures.

Disease, Demons, and Discord—How the Vampire Myth Was Born

Modern vampires may be dashing, but that's not how the legendary bloodsuckers started out.

Stanley Stepanic October 18, 2021

Podcast: American Chestnut Foundation

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team August 19, 2021

Pontevedra, Spain

Isla de San Simón

This small, lush island has a long and bloody history.

Ernest Shackleton, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and Edward Wilson (right to left) as they were preparing to explore the Ross Ice Shelf as part of the British National Antarctic Expedition in November 1902.

Why Did Antarctic Explorer Ernest Shackleton Keep 'Conking Out'?

A vitamin deficiency may have changed the course of a continent's history.

Gemma Tarlach May 13, 2021

Podcast: National Museum of Health and Medicine

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team May 12, 2021

The Farmer Trying to Save Italy's Ancient Olive Trees

A fast-spreading bacteria could cause an olive-oil apocalypse.

Agostino Petroni April 29, 2021