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In 1994, Susan Swedo, a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Maryland, had a hunch that there might be an immunological explanation for obsessive-compulsive disorder. As a model, she was studying a phenomenon known as Sydenham’s chorea, or St. Vitus’ dance. First described centuries ago, Sydenham’s chorea is a rare manifestation of rheumatic fever that affects children almost exclusively. It is a disconcerting, unmistakable illness to witness. Children are overcome by rapid, uncontrollable jerking of the hands, feet, and face, contorting their bodies in a distorted, disturbing “dance.” Sydenham’s chorea is caused by molecular mimicry gone wrong. Molecular mimicry generally works like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Streptococcus bacilli have thrived through the eons by cloaking themselves in proteins that resemble their host’s own cells. Disguised, it evades the immune system just long enough to establish an infection. But sometimes this tactic ...

I received a nice gift (that I have absolutely no use for) from a relative. It came with a gift receipt in the box. My husband told me this was just a courtesy from the store, not permission from the giver to exchange it. He said it would hurt their feelings if I did. I think that’s crazy! If I keep it, I’ll only use it once or twice, to show my relative that I did. Wouldn’t it be better to exchange it for something I’ll use often and enjoy? Credit Christoph Niemann The past is always tense, the future perfect — Zadie Smith J. R. Call me bossy boots, but I have been known to cajole and whine in department stores until my companions try on the garments that I know are perfect for them — even if they loathe them. I stop short, however, of forcing them to buy these things. I feel the same way about presents. They are gestures of affection, not mandatory school uniforms. We make honest efforts to find gifts we hope our recipients will like. But we’re only human. So, if we fail,...

While the hiring process can be lengthy and effort-intensive, the preparation for a new hire’s arrival can sometimes be surprisingly rushed and half-baked. Even if HR takes care of general onboarding, there are still plenty of to-dos that team leads need to cover to make their new teammate feel welcome and prepared. When the onboarding process is clear, new employees become productive faster, feel secure in their new role, and are more engaged—everybody wins. How to prepare before your new employee’s arrival “You’re hired!” usually kicks off a frenzy of activity between the new employee and HR. As for the team the new hire is joining, it can be tempting to slap together some docs and decks and call it a day, but there’s more coordination that needs to happen to welcome new employees and empower them to succeed. Coordinate with other teams Assuming everybody else knows what to do for your new hire might lead to things falling through the cracks, which is deflating f...