Friday
April 19, 2019
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Carl Elliott

Carl Elliott teaches philosophy and bioethics at the University of Minnesota. His books include Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream and White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine.

Tuskegee Truth Teller

Tuskegee Truth Teller

Peter Buxtun, like many medical whistleblowers, got little thanks for exposing a notorious scandal

by Carl Elliott | Monday, December 04, 2017
Life Story placeholder image

Life Story

A bioethicist and his creation

by Carl Elliott | Friday, March 01, 2013
Smarty Pants Podcast

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THIS WEEK’S ARCHIVE PICK

2nd Look

What Is a Dog?

by Chloe Shaw

We admit that unofficial, national fill-in-the-blank days can sometimes feel contrived. (National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, anyone?) But National Hug Your Dog Day (April 10) is too good not to celebrate, especially if it means we can revisit one of our favorite essays: Chloe Shaw’s “What Is a Dog?” from our Spring 2018 issue. After losing a beloved hound named Booker—described as a “wolf meets horse meets dinosaur meets tongue”—Shaw confronts the joys and inevitable sorrows of loving a pet. “A dog is a second chance. A dog is death and life. A dog is plush red carpet and fresh warm pee.” A dog is worth celebrating, and not only on April 10.