Unhealthy Curiosity

A strange accident in 1822 left a man with a window through his chest into his stomach. What followed was one of the most unusual series of experiments in medical history — revealing how digestion really works, and why your stomach doesn’t digest its... more

Can stress really make someone sweat blood? In rare cases, yes. This episode explores the strange condition known as hematidrosis — and why hippos seem to have it too.

People have long warned that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. But does it? And what actually makes the sound? This episode explores the surprisingly contentious science behind one of the body’s most divisive noises.

When you eat meat, you’re eating muscle — the same tissue that moves your own body. This episode explores the anatomical overlap between butcher’s cuts and human muscles, and what cannibals and curious journalists have reported about the smell and ta... more

Within each of your ears is a fluid-filled shell left over from our aquatic past. This episode examines how hearing depends on that miniature ocean, and why excessive noise — from jet engines to blank rounds on the Die Hard set — can permanently dama... more

No windows. No watches. No TV. When humans were sealed underground for weeks at a time without clocks, their biology kept time anyway. This episode explores the bunker experiments that revealed the brain’s internal clock — and why it’s so stubborn.

Teething hurts, but it is not a disease. From hare-brained remedies to modern misunderstandings, this episode explains why the correct treatment for teething is palliative — and why that’s less alarming than it sounds.

From Magellan’s three-year voyage to the invention of the International Date Line, this episode explores how humans resolved the problem of lost and gained days on paper — but not in human physiology.