A Boston Family's Struggle With TB Reveals A Stubborn Foe
Photography: Ellen Webber
Thanks to gold-standard tuberculosis treatment and prevention programs, cases of TB in the United States have declined every year for the past two decades — to the lowest level ever. Tuberculosis is much less of a health threat in the United States than it is in other countries. But a family in Boston discovered that even here, no one is immune from this ancient foe. More than a dozen family members were infected with TB, and matriarch Judy Williams died at age 59.
Faces Of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
Faces Of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis. Forms of tuberculosis are emerging that are costly, difficult and at times, nearly impossible to treat. This new, worldwide threat is called multidrug-resistant TB, and it occurs when the bacteria no longer respond to the most common TB medications.
Could Detectives Use Microbes To Solve Murders?
Long after we die, many of the microscopic creatures living in and on us continue to thrive. In field experiments, forensic scientists are tracking changes in communities of microbes on human remains that could one day serve as clues.
You Had Me At Hello: The Science Behind First Impressions
Illustration: Katherine Streeter
Remember that famous line in the movie Jerry Maguire where Renee Zellweger says to Tom Cruise, "You had me at 'hello' "? Well it turns out there is some scientific evidence to back this up. People use voices to instantly judge people, researchers say.
Pregnancy Hormone May Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
Photography: Mark Turner
Women with multiple sclerosis often find that they have fewer problems when they are expecting. That led researchers to develop an experimental drug based on a hormone associated with pregnancy.
Recovery Begins For Mother, Daughter Injured In Boston
Photography: Ellen Webber
Fewer than three weeks after they were severely injured in the Boston Marathon bombings, Celeste Corcoran and her 18-year-old daughter, Sydney, are entering a new phase of recovery and rehabilitation. Part of their healing is emotional, not physical.
Elephant Slaughter, African Slavery And America's Pianos
Two New England towns dominated the world's ivory market from 1840 to 1940 — transforming imported tusks from African elephants into piano keys and combs. Today's residents grapple with a dark past.
