There's Still Time to Enter! We've extended the deadline for the Synapse Storytelling Contest to midnight on Friday, July 10, ...

After years of internal debate, I finally got my first tattoo. He’s a small lizard, with a topological map design inside, scaling the outer edge of my left ankle. His fine lines and tasteful detail ...

Hunger is a natural part of life, but have you ever stopped to consider why you’re feeling hungry? Understanding the difference between physiological and psychological hunger can help you make more ...

At the age of thirteen, my genetic disorder caused my growth to accelerate, leading to an unusually tall stature. My pediatrician predicted a height of at least 6' 4" after puberty, whereas the ...

Originally published in Synapse on December 2, 1993. David E. Smith, MD, founder and director of the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics, began treating young people using LSD in 1967 and has been on the ...

I have not watched the George Floyd video. In fact, I have not watched the Ahmaud Aubrey, Eric Garner, or any of the other recordings of police brutality. I do not need to watch the video to know what ...

When you want to learn something new, the first order of business is practice. After putting in some effort, you can hopefully keep doing what you learned — whether it’s parallel parking or standing ...

I’m albino. My eyes are … different. In many ways, the world is not built for me. Every time I open Outlook on my iPhone and FaceID pops up, I have to pull the phone far away from its usual position — ...

Human rights activists have been shocked down to their core as they received proof of the Chinese government’s horrific removal and trafficking of detained Uyghur Muslims’ organs. The investigation ...

Originally published in Synapse on 14 April 14, 2005. Dr. Robert Dean, currently a clinical fellow in the Urology Department, served for 12 months as an Army surgeon in Iraq. Along with 32 other ...

Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF’s Chair of the Department of Medicine, gained a vast twitter following during the COVID pandemic with his informative, direct, and sometimes personal tweets. He’s kept his ...

A week before I gave birth last February, the research team I work with published a study in a prominent scientific journal on how paid family leave affects maternal and child health. The study found ...