15 Times Scientists Became Their Own Guinea Pigs
Self-experimentation has driven some of medicine’s most daring breakthroughs, with over 465 documented cases and 14 Nobel Prizes linked to this high-stakes practice. From injecting deadly pathogens to enduring brutal physical tests, these scientists risked their lives to uncover truths that transformed healthcare. Their death toll? Astonishingly low—just 1.72%—with no fatalities since 1928, according to a paper reviewed by Harvard University. Here are 15 researchers whose radical self-experiments reshaped science forever. Some paid with their health—or their lives—but their legacy is undeniable. 1. Barry Marshall Marshall revolutionized our understanding of stomach ulcers through an audacious self-experiment in 2005. The Australian …