The wonderfully named Vibrio diabolicus is a cousin of the cholera-causing bacterium

Unprecedented imaging of the Vibrio bacteria, published in 2026, may highlight new treatment targets

Researchers have produced the most detailed image ever of a key part of the Vibrio bacteria—the cause of cholera—known as the sheathed flagellum, which helps it move.

In 1892, two scientists purposefully infected themselves with cholera bacteria

When they became ill—one with mild diarrhea and the other with severe cholera—researchers pointed to that as proof that the pathogen caused the disease.

Cholera can persist in the environment, unlike smallpox, which needs a human host

Vibrio cholerae is the pathogen that causes cholera. It can reproduce in the environment without a human host, which means it's formally called a facultative pathogen. Obligate pathogens need a host to reproduce. Examples of obligate-based diseases include leprosy and smallpox.

The cholera bacteria was first isolated in 1854—but the discovery was largely ignored

The pathogen was isolated by the Italian physician Filippo Pacini in Florence, Italy, though his discovery was largely ignored in favor of the popular miasma—bad air—theory of disease at the time. The pathogen was separately isolated about three decades later by German microbiologist Robert Koch.

Learn how cholera bacteria sicken humans

Once a person has ingested large amounts of the bacteria, typically through contaminated water, cholera bacteria begin producing and releasing a toxin inside their host. It attacks the mucosal lining of the intestine, making it hard to absorb liquids. This process leads to cholera's characteristic symptoms, like voluminous, watery diarrhea.

A look at hydrothermal vents, where barophiles and hyperthermophiles survive boiling water

Discovered in 1977 during an exploration of the Galapagos Rift, these seafloor openings spew hot magma and chemicals that heat seawater to hundreds of degrees. Without the sunlight found at depths of less than 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), extremophiles in these environments convert released chemicals into energy to survive, alongside surviving extreme pressures.

Cholera was called the 'Blue Death'

In the mid-1800s—when John Snow identified cholera in London—the disease was known simply as the "Blue Death." That's because blood would thicken in patients' veins when they were struggling with extreme dehydration. As a result, their skin would turn a blueish hue as their blood was starved of oxygen.

We're in the middle of a decadeslong cholera pandemic

In 1961, the world's seventh recorded cholera pandemic started in South Asia, and it has continued through the decades. India and Bangladesh are at particular risk. This pandemic is driven partly by conflict, population displacement, extreme weather, and poor water infrastructure.

There's a goddess in South Asia worshipped for her protection against cholera

Both Hindus and Muslims in certain parts of South Asia pray to Oladevi, also known as Olabibi, to help protect against cholera. People also pray to this goddess for protection against epidemics more broadly.

River dolphins manhandle an unlucky anaconda

The natural world around us is endlessly inspiring, and fascinating, and often very odd too: like when researchers snapped a photo of Bolivian river dolphins swimming around with a Beni anaconda snake in their mouths, for example.

This real-time tracking of the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak in May 2026 offers a unique glimpse into the global reach of the outbreak and whether the virus sickened passengers and their communities around the world.

Mosquito-borne illnesses have killed captive orcas at SeaWorld

After two SeaWorld orcas died from viruses carried by mosquitoes, scientists warn that mosquito-borne illnesses may be a bigger threat to these captive animals than previously known. Captive orcas spend a lot of time stationary, close to the surface, unlike their wild counterparts. Researchers saw mosquitoes landing on the animals' backs, heads, and dorsal fins, supping on their blood.

Marburg virus, related to Ebola, is also extremely deadly

Discovered nine years before Ebola, Marburg is part of the same filovirus family. While this virus is less contagious, it can still be deadly. Currently, no vaccines exist against this disease. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Explore this hantavirus cruise ship outbreak case map from May 2026

Assembled from case information from state and health agencies, this detailed mapping includes the last known locations of each confirmed, deceased, and suspected case and their status.

There's an official term for the sound your stomach makes before intense diarrhea

It's borborygmi. The sound is produced when gas or liquid moves through the bowel. Peristalsis, the wave-like muscle tightening process that typically pushes food through the digestive system, produces the sound as it tries to push these substances through the body.

How microbes limited the damage and helped clean up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

A bloom estimated to contain about 100 sextillion microbial cells broke down much of the 4.1 million barrels of spilled crude oil into nontoxic compounds in what was one of the most significant bioremediations of a human-made disaster. The microbes involved acted similarly to the first patented genetically modified organism in US history: an oil-eating bacterium engineered in 1971.

Corynebacterium species are particularly responsible for our funky smell

Myriad bacteria contribute to our body odor, but research suggests that Corynebacterium species are strongly associated with the bad smells emanating from adults. Staphylococcus and Cutibacterium genera may also play leading roles.

Ebola is a filovirus, meaning it resembles a thread under a microscope, though it sometimes twists and can resemble a bowl of spaghetti.

What is the gut virome?

The gut microbiome's community of viruses is collectively known as the virome. It has been found to affect immune system development—important to the gut-brain axis—and has been implicated in the development of inflammatory bowel disease and Type 2 diabetes. As of early 2023, less than half of the viral sequences in the gut had been identified. Further study is needed to understand the virome's influence and therapeutic potential.

Sewage on cruise ships is cleaned onboard by bacteria and advanced filtration systems

A cruise ship's onboard sewage plant processes black water, human waste or sewage, and gray water, wastewater from sinks, showers, and washing machines. Treated water is stored until the ship reaches a distance where it can legally discharge it.

Massive blooms of microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates produce the neon blue light seen in glowing tides.

New species of bacteria discovered in Chinese space station

A new space-adapted bacteria species, Niallia tiangongensis, was discovered on China's Tiangong space station. The bacteria display a heightened oxidative stress response and unique biofilm-forming abilities that assist them in healing from to radiation-based damage.

Computer viruses' hijacking abilities led them to be named after biological viruses

Just as their counterparts infect cells and take control of cellular processes to replicate endlessly, computer viruses cannot replicate on their own and must copy their code into host software before duplicating when the program or file is opened. The term "virus" comes from the Latin word for "venom."

Grosse Île, the quarantine island of the Port of Quebec

As tens of thousands of Irish emigrated to North America to escape the Great Famine in the mid-19th century, many port cities set up quarantine areas amid an epidemic of cholera. In Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River, one island became a mass graveyard where over 3,000 Irish immigrants died over a decade as they waited in quarantine. Listen to the history here.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

'Moby-Dick' was inspired by a real whale named Mocha Dick

A story in an 1839 issue of the Knickerbocker magazine detailed an encounter with Mocha Dick, named after his color and the generic name used at the time for whales. Melville read the account before starting his famous novel.

Explore the animals that populate the depths of the ocean, from fish and coral in the first few hundred feet, all the way down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

View examples of luciferin, the light-emitting molecule behind bioluminescence

Bioluminescent marine organisms rely on various unique luciferins, including Cypridina-type luciferin in seed shrimp and chlorophyll-based dinoflagellate luciferin, to react with oxygen to produce light. These chemicals require unique catalysts to help them bind with oxygen.

Watch the first-ever footage of a ghost shark

In 2009, the pointy-nosed blue chimaera was filmed swimming in the deep sea. That same year, researchers first observed them off the coast of California and Hawaii, after they had previously been found only in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 1915, workers recovered a submarine-like vessel from the Chicago River, prompting fears of German espionage

The origin of the symbiotic relationship between corals and the algae that feed them

An analysis of fossilized reefs from northern Africa and Germany suggests that shallow water corals and photosynthetic algae formed a mutualistic partnership between 419 and 359 million years ago. The discovery was made by analyzing nitrogen-isotope ratios in the fossils, which differ depending on whether algae are present, due to various chemical processes.

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.

During the French Revolution, a botanist's letter asking about "dear Rhus" (poison ivy) was intercepted, leading authorities to suspect he was conspiring with the Russians.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

The deadliest aspect of volcanic eruptions is often not lava, but pyroclastic flows—avalanches of ash, gas, and rock that can move more than half the speed of sound.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Salvador Dalí believed he was his own dead brother, who had died nine months before he was born

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Elk Cloner, the first computer virus to spread in public, was written as a practical joke by Richard Skrenta, a Pittsburgh high school student.

In 2018, 26-year-old missionary John Allen Chau was killed by tribesmen after attempting to reach and evangelize on India's isolated North Sentinel Island

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

The use of fungi to detoxify land and water—a process known as mycoremediation—has been used to clean up natural resources affected by the 2025 California wildfires.

Lesser-known phobias include turophobia, or the fear of cheese, and nomophobia, the fear of being without your cell phone.

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

Venture capital is a form of funding provided to early-stage companies with high growth potential, typically in exchange for an equity (or ownership) stake

Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.