The Disappearing Spoon podcast
Health & Medicine
Bodies, minds, and the things that help and harm them
How the ‘Worst Serial Killer in Holland’s History’ Went Free
Patient after patient died under the care of a single nurse. Why did so many statisticians think she was innocent?
The Eclipse That Killed a King
Rama IV of Siam used an eclipse to save his kingdom from greedy colonial powers. But it cost him his life.
When Generosity Turns Pathological
One man’s brain damage transformed him into a selfless giver. What does his case say about the biological roots of generosity?
The Forgotten Mother of Penicillin
How “Moldy Mary” helped produce the lifesaving drug and turned an insult into a triumph.
Einstein’s Golden Moment
It was the most powerful emotional moment of Albert Einstein’s life—the instant he knew he was a genius.
Everything You Know About Phineas Gage Is Wrong
What can a railroad construction foreman’s devastating skull injury teach us about the brain’s ability to heal?
Why Do We Obsess Over Charles Darwin’s Health?
People love to retro-diagnose historical figures, even when it’s nearly impossible.
When Scientific Brilliance Isn’t Enough
In medicine, going rogue is never a good idea.
The Enigmas of Foreign Accent Syndrome
Can you really collapse and wake up speaking a totally new language?
Death by Nutrition
How an antarctic scientific expedition turned deadly thanks to an unlikely source: dog liver.
The Lifesaving Rat Poison
Follow blood thinner warfarin’s unlikely journey from moldy clover and cow killer to lifesaving drug.
When the Brain Deceives Itself
Learn what two famous neurological traumas—one involving a U.S. president, the other a Supreme Court justice—can teach us about how our own brains perceive reality.
Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius as Written by Our Genetic Code
An interview with Sam Kean about his book ‘The Violinist’s Thumb.’
The Murderous Origins of the American Medical Association
How a bloody gun duel between two doctors in Transylvania sparked a frenzy of outrage—and helped create the American Medical Association.
The Harvard Medical School Janitor Who Solved a Murder
In a building full of dead bodies, how can you tell a murder victim from an unlucky stiff?
Real-Life Zombies
What a bizarre psychological disorder can teach us about memory, human nature, and our sense of who we are.
The ‘Mary Poppins’ Cancer
The life of chimney sweeps was nasty, poor, brutish, filthy dirty, and usually short, thanks to a rare cancer of the genitals.
The Anatomy Riots
How early anatomists provoked some of the strangest riots in history by stealing the dead bodies of the poor.