Visualizing the genetics of SARS-CoV-2

A timeline of major pandemics from 1899–2025

Modern pandemics have been defined by the race between globalization (which increases risk) and the development of new medicines. The Great Influenza epidemic claimed some 50 million lives, and the COVID-19 pandemic killed more than 7 million. In between, diseases like Ebola, cholera, AIDS, and more have devastated communities.

How the 1918 pandemic spurred developments in virology and vaccines

This article provides an in-depth historical account of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, including its impact on the global population and how its occurrence spurred significant advancements in the study of viruses—laying the groundwork for the...

Seven known types of coronaviruses have jumped from animals to humans

Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, belong to a large family of viruses characterized by their crown-like appearance under a microscope, due to spike proteins on their surface. While thousands are believed to exist in animals, only seven are known to have made the jump to humans.

The coronavirus likely came from China’s wet markets

A wet market is a type of marketplace primarily selling fresh, perishable goods such as meat, fish, and produce, often in a non-supermarket environment. The term originated in Singapore during the 1970s, and the "wet" aspect refers to the wet floors resulting from the washing of stalls and the use of ice to keep food fresh. Such markets have been identified as a major source of zoonotic outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID accelerated antibiotic resistance

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a virus, and viruses can’t be treated with antibiotics. But recent research finds that COVID patients were given a tremendous amount of antibiotics, contributing to the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Why? This NPR feature sheds light on an unexpected side effect of the pandemic.

Climate change is influencing the spread of disease

Rising temperatures and water levels are forcing animals and pathogens beyond their typical boundaries. This article and its data visualizations explore the proliferation of climate-driven diseases.

Watch how viruses like Ebola can spill over from animals to humans—and vice-versa.

Simulation of the coronavirus inside an aerosol droplet

A new simulation shows how the virus survives inside tiny airborne particles of water — and gives clues about how the Delta variant became dominant.

How the World Bank's pandemic bonds were triggered during COVID-19

In 2017, the World Bank raised a chunk of emergency funds through bonds to help developing countries cover funds in the event of a pandemic. Had no pandemic occurred, investors would have received returns of 6% to 11%. But the global pandemic meant they lost all their money.

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.

The coronavirus pandemic sparked theories about the dangers of 5G

COVID-19 spreading around the same time as the rollout of 5G sparked conspiracy theories and outrage that the new wireless technology was harming people and the environment. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

HIV originated in Central and West Africa from a virus in chimpanzees

Researchers believe the virus crossed from chimpanzees to humans through bushmeat practices in the early 20th century, with genetic studies suggesting the most recent common ancestor of the HIV-1 M group, which is responsible for the global AIDS pandemic, emerged around 1910–1930 in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) in the Belgian Congo.

The virus was officially described for the first time in 1789

Michael Underwood, an English physician and surgeon, was the first to describe the disorder, noting it caused disability in the lower extremities in children. Large-scale outbreaks of the disease were not observed until the late 19th century.

Loss of sense of smell is a common symptom of COVID-19 infection

In 2020, researchers discovered why this occurs. The virus that causes this infection attacks the cells that support smell-detecting neurons. Once infection clears, the sense of smell typically returns, though the exact timeline for that differs by patient. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

In 2019, videos on TikTok convinced children they had Tourette syndrome

Right before the COVID-19 pandemic, an "outbreak" of Tourette syndrome was attributed to videos from a German TikToker who documented his life with the condition. The children experiencing the symptoms all had the same tics, which experts say was a case of mass sociogenic illness, also referred to as mass hysteria.

Visualizing cyberattacks by country

Cyber crime is expected to cost the global economy trillions per year by 2025. This data illustration showcases the countries with the most severe cyber attacks from 2006-2020.

Data visualizations showing population growth around the world

This page presents data, charts, and analysis on changes in population growth around the world. Over the last few centuries, the human population has gone through an extraordinary change. In 1800, there were 1 billion people; today, there are more...

How cigarettes took over China

In 2022, China had a fifth of the world's population and bought nearly half of the world's cigarettes. This investigation explores how China became plagued by tobacco consumption, something epidemiologists say will strain the country's health system...

Less than 1% of people globally have schizophrenia, a syndrome strongly linked to genetics

Schizophrenia's causes remain largely unknown, though scientists suggest it's caused by multiple factors. Its symptoms include disruption of thought processes rather than the exhibiting of multiple personalities. This brief video provides an overview of the condition.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

See MS prevalence by region in the United States

This map underscores that people in the northeastern United States have more cases of the disease as compared to the south, west, and midwest. On an individual level, these numbers may still differ based on genetic makeup and other factors irrespective of where people live.

Is the pandemic performance art?

Interdisciplinary artist Kristina Wong sees parallels between the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the “worst performance art” she’s encountered in her career. Wong’s sharp sense of humor and clever writing mean that she gets in some good digs at the more ridiculous side of performance art, but don’t let her funny fool you: this is an incisive piece on the role of performance, empathy, trauma, and art in all our lives.

The 2026 Ebola outbreak is hampered by a lack of vaccine against the species of the virus, heightening the need for rapid tests to aid in disease control.

See a timeline of the Human Genome Project

Despite starting on October 1, 1990, the goal of mapping all the DNA found in a human being was first planned in 1984. The project would reach its goals two years ahead of schedule in 2003.

Asia-Pacific's share of global venture capital investment has jumped from 3% to 28% in 20 years

China has driven much of that growth due to its manufacturing power and tech sector. This graphic shows how the share of total venture capital deal value changed around the world between 1997 and 2023.

Explaining the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank—the nation's 16th largest bank at the time—collapsed after a rapid run on its deposits. Among other factors, the bank had placed more than half of its investments into long-term bonds, leaving it without the necessary cash on hand as its clients, largely start ups, panicked and withdrew their money at the same time. This visualization lays out the timeline and impact of the collapse.

Visualize how CRISPR works at the molecular level

CRISPR is a revolutionary gene-editing technology already making a real-world impact in helping to treat several diseases and conditions. This simulation provides a microscopic view to help easily visualize the complex science.

Understanding R0, a measure of how contagious a pathogen is

The R0 value is a basic measure of how many people an infected person will transmit a pathogen to, on average. If R0 is less than 1, transmission dies out; if greater than 1, an outbreak is likely. Measles has one of the highest known R0 values at almost 18, meaning that after four transmission steps, more than 100,000 people could be infected.

The share of workers with remote-capable jobs working from home peaked in 2020

Every year, it seems like some study is claiming that remote work is over, and that employers are forcing workers to return to office en masse. This chart shows a much more nuanced picture of how remote work has fluctuated before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic—remote, hybrid, and in-person work levels have remained relatively stable since 2023.

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.

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

Visualize the path of every solar eclipse from 1900 to 2099 and see what each looks like when observed from different locations on Earth.

The name 'Silicon Valley' arose from the founding of Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in Fairchild Semiconductor in 1956-57, founded near Stanford University in Palo Alto

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

Scientists testing how climate change affects plants found, in a years-long simulation study, that poison ivy grew 70% faster with the resulting extra carbon dioxide.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

After NASA's Voyager 1 captured Earth as a single pixel as it left the solar system in 1990, astronomer Carl Sagan used the image to reflect on humanity's fragility and the responsibility to protect 'the only world we've ever known.'

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens.

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

The US first hosted the World Cup in 1994, a tournament that lives in soccer infamy for its poor planning and the murder of Colombian player Andres Escobar, who'd accidentally scored on his own net.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.