The bubonic plague killed so many people in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa that that natural selection event is still rippling through our genomes today. But the same genes that helped your ancestors survive the Black Death...

In a bone-filled week, a rediscovered cranium from China might represent an entirely new species of human that's possibly our closest evolutionary relative. And, while studying a 5,000-year-old skeleton, scientists found evidence of what...

Hank explores the science behind the topics of the day, including a look at the current "pandemic" of concussions in professional sports and new insights into what really caused the worst plagues in human history, and what it portends...

How likely is a 21st-century epidemic of the plague? Unlike other diseases, the plague is alive and well in some parts of the world, but scientists and doctors are continuing to develop better treatments.

Epidemiologists are always trying to get one step ahead of the next big outbreak - and often the best clues we have come from outbreaks of the past. Chapters BUBONIC PLAGUE VICTIMS 0:25 THE GREAT DYING 17th Century 0:47 WAMPANOAG LAND...

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...

1346 - Oriental rat fleas infected with the Yersinia pestis bacterium arrive by boat in several European cities. Within three years, the ‘Pestilence’ or ‘Great Mortality’ grips the entire continent. Bubonic plague earns its name from the...

The history and origins behind the Bubonic Plague; the world's most devastating health pandemic

After a few periods of great scientific progress in several parts of the world, we finally arrive at the Middle Ages. It was quite a bummer to be alive during this time, and one of the main reasons for this was the persistent plagues...

Scientists have unearthed findings that changes current thinking on how old the plague is.

We all love watching movies where mankind gets wiped out by asteroids or volcanos. But in reality, humanity has survived its fair share of world ending cataclysms. From murderous plagues to world shaking earthquakes, here are 10...

The Black Death was a pandemic caused by plague that wiped out at least one-third of Europe's population in the 14th century.