Health and Biology

King Tutankhamun only ruled ancient Egypt for a few short years before dying as a teenager. His mummy was discovered in a tomb filled with gold and jewels. But what killed him? He had been sickly throughout his whole life and had a broken leg when he died. But scientists found traces of a terrible disease that likely ended his life. That disease is called malaria.

As a teenager, Hugh Herr got lost during a blizzard on a mountain. He surived the ordeal but was gravely injured. “Both of my legs were amputated just below the knee due to tissue damage from frostbite,” he explained in a 2020 talk. As he adjusted to his new body, he said, “I began to imagine a world with such advanced technology that disability is no more.”