In 2011, a mysterious illness spread around LeRoy, New York

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.

Lyme disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut in 1975

A cluster of 51 children and adults in the town all began experiencing uncommon arthritic symptoms and the cases were reported to the state health department. A quarter of the cases were preceded by a skin lesion. The patients tended to live near the woods.

In 1951, a small French town was overtaken by the fungus that ultimately led to LSD

During the summer of 1951, the French town of Pont-Saint-Esprit appeared to go mad. Hundreds were treated for hallucinations and delirium, with some reporting ongoing hallucinations a month after the LSD-like symptoms appeared. Some historians argue it was a case of ergotism, better known in the Middle Ages as "burning disease" and "St. Anthony's Fire."

At least 7 eastern college campuses experienced surprisingly large HFMD outbreaks in 2018

The outbreaks at the college level caused a particularly nasty set of symptoms, including the usual blisters in the mouth and on the hands and feet—but also affected the genitals. They surprised health officials who weren't sure why so many young adults were being sickened, including more than 120 kids at Johns Hopkins University. The disease also caused outbreaks at campuses including Princeton, Dartmouth, West Virginia University, Lehigh University, Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and Mars Hill University in North Carolina.

Leprosy affects the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract

Untreated, the disease can lead to permanent nerve damage and the loss of sensation in arms, legs, and other extremities. The exact form of transmission remains unclear, but scientists suspect it is spread via respiratory droplets over a prolonged period. (Warning: Graphic content, including photos of deformities.)

The neuroscience of REM atonia disorders, where patients act out dreams

What prevents the typical person from acting out their dreams? Temporary paralysis of skeletal muscles, usually leading up to, and during, REM sleep. This academic article and related graphics explore what happens when this process doesn't go as planned, leading to REM sleep behavior disorder.

Inside the Sarah Lawrence College sex cult scandal

In late 2010, a middle-aged man, freshly released from prison, moved into his daughter's college dorm and created a group that had all the hallmarks of a cult. Over the decade that followed, he extorted millions of dollars from vulnerable young adults through violence, psychological torture, and forced sex work. Authorities credited his arrest to a magazine article published in 2019 detailing victims' allegations.

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.

American medical organizations rescind recognition of diagnosis cited in police custody deaths

American medical organizations have rescinded their recognition of a syndrome whose theory stemmed from discredited research. This article explores the history and implications of "excited delirium syndrome," a medical condition that can reportedly...

Two festival-goers were hospitalized after receiving peptide injections, raising questions

Investigative journalism shop ProPublica wrote about two people who became extremely ill following antiaging peptide injections. Authorities were examining whether the individuals were sickened by an infection, contamination related to the injections, or an issue with the medication itself, according to documents obtained by the journalists at ProPublica.

The deadly genetic disease that steals shut-eye

Few are haunted by fatal familial insomnia. This neurodegenerative disease is typically carried through bloodlines via genetic mutation of the prion protein gene, forcing the body to create abnormal and pathological protein variations that can corrupt normal versions. This article follows a musician as they attempt to come to terms with the FFI plaguing their family (and, possibly, their future).

How ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) might work, and what scientists are learning about it

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nerve cells (neurons) controlling muscle movement. As the motor neurons degenerate, they stop sending signals to the muscles, causing progressive muscle weakness and, eventually, death. This three-minute animation focuses on the mechanisms within the motor neurons that cause them to degenerate. By understanding these mechanisms, researchers hope to one day find a cure for ALS.

Schizophrenia symptoms often appear suddenly

Schizophrenia is a particularly shocking mental illness because its symptoms may appear seemingly without any prior signs of illness after a person has had no symptoms for the first couple of decades of their life. Among teens, symptoms may look like typical adolescent behaviors—withdrawal, being irritable, and having trouble sleeping.

The Takaro Lodge, a therapeutic New Zealand community turned wellness cult

Founded by Slovenian "energy" healer Aiping Wang, the lodge members were promised spiritual growth, healing, and even radical gifts like flight and foresight. Things turned dark as the group embraced extreme beliefs and practices.

How a rural Indiana tragedy became true crime

In February 2017, two teens were dropped off at a local hangout spot near the northern edge of Delphi, Indiana, a city of less than 3,000 people. One of the girls was filming and briefly caught footage of a man coming toward them before they were apparently cornered and "marched to their deaths." The suspect remains unknown despite audio and grainy video evidence, giving rise to rumor and speculation.

In the 19th century, ice-cream-related illnesses were somewhat regular in America

Ice cream was a popular dessert, but it was also a dangerous one, with numerous reports of vomiting, diarrhea, and—in some cases—death. Historians argue this was likely due to vendors' poor hygienic practices.

There are at least 6 fascinating examples of mind-controlling parasites

Parasitic organisms—including flatworms and barnacles, not just fungi—can modify animal behavior. They can give rise to dancing fish, pulsating snails, suicidal rats, and more. Though some of these pathogens can sicken humans, there is no strong evidence that any can control human behavior.

Paralysis from polio occurs in under 1% of infections

About 1 in 200 cases of infection causes paralysis. For paralysis to occur, the virus travels from the throat, intestines, and gut to infect specific cells within the spinal cord and brain stem that control movements. Within hours of invading the nervous system, paralysis can occur. The virus can be present in bodily secretions and stool for multiple weeks post-infection.

Some of us can control our goose bumps

A small 2018 study examined the rare ability to control goose bumps. Researchers found some intriguing associations between having a particularly open and curious personality type and the ability to trigger this sensation—a link that they hope will be explored further in the future.

Why one Emily Dickinson biographer believed she had epilepsy

Lyndall Gordon's "Lives Like Loaded Guns" points to a "handicap" referenced in several Dickinson poems. According to Gordon, the condition was so stigmatized during Dickinson's life that it made her reclusive. In this NPR interview, Gordon explains why she believes the theory is the best explanation for Dickinson's notorious isolation.

A BPPV patient describes how a neck massage fueled crippling vertigo

The pressure, she says, dislodged tiny crystals in her inner ear that are crucial to balance. The condition is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV.

Health problems are being misdiagnosed as perimenopause symptoms

Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause (the premenopause period) can be varied enough that clinicians dismiss them in patients in their mid-30s and onward as just a symptom of hormone level change. In this story, a woman's itching was dismissed as a hormonal change, but after two years and 11 separate doctor consultations, was diagnosed as cancer. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Anorexia as religion: from the Middle Ages to modern message boards

Humanity's interest in anorexia nervosa can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the rise of "fasting girls." This article explores the history of the eating disorder as a religion. The first recorded anorexics appeared during the 13th century...

Read an account of what life was like in America's national leprosarium—its leper colony

José Ramirez Jr. shares an account of his eight years at the 300-acre national leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana, from 1968 through the mid-1970s. Mostly staffed by nuns with nursing degrees, this facility was home to hundreds of people at a time, and it's also the site where they were required to be buried.

Hysterical strength allows someone to lift a car off their child

When the body responds to an acute crisis—say a family member trapped under a car—people can sometimes perform seemingly superhuman feats. This is more than an urban legend: In 2012, a 22 year-old-woman lifted a vehicle off her father, and seven years earlier another man lifted a vehicle off a trapped cyclist. Yet scientists are still unraveling details about why this can occur.

See how Ebola tore through Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in 2014-2016.

The concept of phantom limbs, the perception that amputated limbs are still present, dates back to a French military surgeon in the 16th century.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

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

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

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.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

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.

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

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.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

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

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

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

The distributor behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled the film from its scheduled national release, believing it would be a failure, though it eventually amassed a dedicated fanbase through midnight showings, a trend that continues over 50 years later.

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

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.

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

The first robot in literature may have been a 'mechanical man' in 1907's 'Ozma of Oz,' a book in L Frank Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' series.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Stars appear to twinkle because turbulence in the motion of molecules in Earth's atmosphere causes light to bend and wiggle rapidly on its way to the surface—a phenomenon called scintillation.

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.