Prior to agriculture and the domestication of animals humans likely had little chance to interact on a large scale with a wide range of pathogens, with disease likely playing a minor role in ...

Germ theory is the idea that pathogens can invade the human body and cause disease — and it wasn't always accepted. Evidence for germ theory accumulated over time, and as it did, it butted against ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. To mark our 150th year, we’re revisiting the Popular Science ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has breathed new life into a 160-year-old ...

Caitjan Gainty runs the Wellcome-funded Healthy Scepticism project. Back in February 2019, when the pandemic was still far from most people thoughts, the Fox News programme Fox & Friends aired a ...

Gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships hit a 12-year high in 2024, and 2025 has been even worse, with cruise lines seeing an entire year's worth of outbreaks in only the first quarter of the year.

From alleging that the polio vaccine kills more people than it saves to promoting cod liver oil as a remedy during a measles outbreak, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has, ...

When you don’t believe in germ theory, the world is your oyster—or maybe your bathtub. Over the weekend, America’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shared pictures on social media of ...

Live Science spoke with author Thomas Levenson about his new book on the history of germ theory. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.