Exploring how the human body works, what goes wrong, and how to protect it. Real science on illness, symptoms, and prevention — one story at a time.
Human Body
Do it now. Don't think about it — just fold your fingers together the way you would if you were waiting for bad news. Look down. One thumb is sitting on top of the other. Around 55% of people find their left thumb there. Most of the rest find
Human Body
Walk out of a dark cinema into afternoon sun. If you're one of about a quarter of people, you'll sneeze — two or three times, quickly, before your eyes have even adjusted. If you're the other three-quarters, you have no idea what anyone is
Human Body
Step outside. Within five to ten minutes, the exposed skin turns red and wheals rise. Then itching, then burning. Expose enough of your body and it stops being a skin problem. There is a documented risk of anaphylaxis if the whole body is exposed — the same systemic collapse as a
Human Body
Go to a mirror. Pull your lower eyelid down and look at the inner corner, near your nose. You'll see a small pink lump, and just beside it a thin crescent-shaped fold of pink tissue curving toward your eyeball. That fold is the plica semilunaris, and it&