The article, “The New Mystery-Maybe Miracle Drug” by Lawrence Galton, that was published in The New York Times in 1971, discussed the incredible uses of the hormone Prostglandin. I thought that the article was very fascinating and even though it was written over 40 years ago, till this day, I wasn’t aware of some of these positive effects of this hormone. This article was written using very technical science terms. Even though I’ve taken my share of science classes and could understand some of the vocabulary, a lot of the information was very meticulous- especially when the author explained things on the molecular level. However, it was thorough and built from the basics. The molecular drawings that were featured in the article just provide a deeper understanding of the structure and depending on that, it gives light into how this molecule will react and affect with others.

The audience that was intended for this article was probably people who are scientifically inclined and are interested in healthcare innovations. Since this article is eight pages long and contains a lot of technical information, the people who would spend time reading it would be those who probably have some prior scientific knowledge and can understand such an article. In comparison to the science articles that are published in The Times today, this article is definitely longer and less geared toward the general public. For example, my hot topic was covered in The New York Times and I thought it included pretty specific scientific terms, however it was shorter and simpler than The Miracle Drug published in 1971.

I enjoyed the way the information through out the article was distributed. After mentioning that prostaglandin could be a form of birth control that is easily accessible by the mother- basically an abortion that is the control of the woman’s hands, the use of the hormone posed ethical issues. The article did not solely include the science behind the discoveries, but also the morality and how it would be viewed societally, especially during the 70s when birth control was no as accepted.  Aside from the  abortion issue, the article discussed disagreements between professionals which provided multiple perspectives on the matter.

In general, I enjoyed the content of the article because I am genuinely interested in the topic and if any of these discoveries were refuted by today.