Every doctor is known for their stethoscope, arguably the most important medical tool in history. But how does it work? Where did someone get the idea to create a tool for listening to the heart?

Two centuries after its invention, the stethoscope — the very symbol of the medical profession — is facing an uncertain prognosis. It is threatened by hand-held devices that are also pressed ...

Two centuries after its invention, the stethoscope — the very symbol of the medical profession — is facing an uncertain prognosis. It is threatened by hand-held devices that are also pressed ...

Doctors have been listening to the sounds our bodies make for years. Before the invention of stethoscopes, they simply put their ears to their patients' chests or abdomens. The technical term for ...

The traditional stethoscope, invented in 1816, remains a crucial tool in medical diagnosis. However, its accuracy is limited by factors such as the user’s experience and the presence of external ...

it may soon replace the stethoscope as the quintessential doctor’s tool. Its rise, meanwhile, reveals something about how technology works. In some cases, inventions arrive fully formed.