Top Stories 
Published On January 15, 2007
TECHNOLOGY
Master of Disguise
Robert Barron, who once created masks for CIA agents, now uses his talent for a different purpose: bringing people disfigured by trauma and disease out from hiding.
For 15 years, Robert Barron created masks for the Central Intelligence Agency, helping agents disappear into the shadows. Since his retirement in 1993, he has used his talent for a different purpose: bringing men, women and children disfigured by trauma, disease and congenital defects out from hiding. Made of silicone and painstakingly hand painted, Barron’s removable prosthetic ears, noses, fingers and faces—held in place by magnets, adhesives or screws—are nothing short of transformational.
Dispatches
COVID-19 On Purpose One sure-fire way to test vaccines and treatments is to deliberately infect volunteers. Once unthinkable, the idea is quickly gaining steam.
Flash Radiotherapy Is (Finally) on the Way Since the 1960s, the dream of ultra-fast high dose radiation promised better cancer treatment with fewer side effects. Will the reality measure up?
A Pandemic of Sitting Around? More time on the couch—the byproduct of stay-at-home measures—carries its own danger. The “exercise sprint” and other workarounds may save us.
The Autoimmune Whodunnit Autoimmune diseases are on the rise. The hunt is on to find their causes—including bacteria that may trigger the body to pick a fight with itself.
How Do You Measure Mindfulness? A calmer brain can lead to a healthier body. Researchers are beginning to pinpoint just where those benefits are coming from.
A Corner Turned for Crohn’s Disease? A milestone vaccine will soon move forward in clinical trials. But does its target—the MAP bacterium—actually play a role in the condition?
The New Vaccines: A Visual Primer More than a hundred COVID-19 vaccines are in development, and many use new technologies never tried on a grand scale. Here’s how each is supposed to work.
Top Stories
Why Do Young, Healthy People Die from COVID-19?
When Lyme Lingers
The Desperate Race for Halal Vaccines
