Throughout history, people have been trying to figure out how our bodies work and how to fix them when things go wrong. This has led to some ideas that, with the benefit of hindsight, seem very strange

There's no better way to stop a disease than to catch and treat it early, before symptoms occur. That's the whole point of medical screening techniques like radiography, MRIs and blood tests. But there's one medium with overlooked...

In this episode Hank talks about global medical history and recorded death certificates with journalist Jeremy Smith. Special guest from Animal Wonders and SciShow Kids Jessi Knudsen Castañeda brings Freya the Northern Pine Snake.

Hank squares off against Crash Course Astronomy host Phil Plait in our special Valentine’s/Old Timey Medicine edition of SciShow Quiz Show!

In 1968, a news report highlighting the alarming conditions at Pennhurst revealed that the state spent less on resources for its residents than some zoos do on animals. The shocking revelations, captured by a reporter who gained access...

Former residents of Pennhurst have moved on with their lives in the last decades and have varying views on their time at the institution. A year after leaving, Bettina found her mother who apologized for the past, but Bettina reassured...

Many residents at Pennhurst never should have been there, such as a boy admitted for mispronouncing "spoon" and having one seizure, or a woman placed there due to severe burns. Others included non-disabled individuals from Philadelphia...

At Pennhurst, a few aides were responsible for wards with 50-60 residents, making them reliant on residents they called "work boys" for help. These residents worked long hours performing tasks like cleaning, shaving, and kitchen...

In this video, former residents and employees describe how meals for residents of Pennhurst were unappetizingly mixed in a single bowl and they had only 10 minutes to eat. It mentions severe sanitation issues, including the presence of...

This video discusses diabetes, a chronic disease that affects the body's ability to regulate sugar in the blood. It explains the different types of diabetes and the importance of managing the condition through lifestyle changes and...

The closure of Pennhurst took almost a decade, from 1978 until its final closure in 1987. Despite initial hopes for a smooth transition to community-based care, the community was unprepared, leading to inadequate support and resources...

The Pennhurst case was filed on May 30, 1974, by David Ferleger, who believed it would be resolved quickly due to the evident harm suffered by residents. Initially, the goal was to improve Pennhurst, but it evolved into a movement to...

While Pennhurst had some dedicated doctors and staff, medical care quality varied significantly. Residents had limited access to specialists, and routine care often fell short. Additionally, the institution heavily relied on medication...

This clip recounts the harrowing experiences of several individuals who were placed in the Pennhurst State School. It highlights stories of neglect, abuse, and separation from families due to societal inability to care for individuals...

This introduction to the series about the Pennhurst mental health facility, former residents, professionals, and parents discuss the historical and ongoing challenges in treating and integrating individuals with mental differences....

Hear from some of the volunteers and employees who worked at the Pennhurst facility. They recount moments of care and connection with residents as well as struggles they faced. With few employees compared to the number of patients at...

Residents at Pennhurst faced severe threats of punishment and abuse if they misbehaved, including being sent to harsher wards and placed in shackles or straitjackets. Punitive measures often involved degrading them among their peers,...

It's a weird time to be alive. A pandemic is sweeping the world and life as we know it has gone through a seismic shift in a matter of weeks. But this isn't the first time humans have encountered an epidemic. Today, Danielle (from the...

Humanity didn't always know about the invisible viruses, bacteria, and microbes that can cause disease. But that doesn't mean we didn't come up with some truly bizarre ideas. From the four humors and miasma theory to bloodletting and...

Walter Jackson Freeman II was an evangelical neurosurgeon, vocal about his beliefs and touting a procedure of his own creation from the 1940s through the 1960s. It was called a lobotomy, an operation that involved inserting a sharp metal...

Developed during the 1920s, the iron lung was invented to help individuals with polio breathe after their torso and abdominal muscles ceased to work. Improvements to the iron lung were made throughout the 20th century, but the...

Walter Jackson Freeman II was an evangelical neurosurgeon, vocal about his beliefs and touting a procedure of his own creation from the 1940s through the 1960s. It was called a lobotomy, an operation that involved inserting a sharp metal...

Also known as the Great War, World War I was a horrific world conflict that lasted for roughly four years (1914-1918). You know a bit about WWI from history class: the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, "the War to End All Wars," Allied...

Vivien Thomas was born on August 29, 1910, in New Iberia, Louisiana. He was the son of a carpenter and grandson of an enslaved man. He was a skilled carpenter who saved for seven years to pay for his education but lost it all...