Subscribe now

See more: An illustrated version of this article will be published within the next two weeks on our CultureLab books and arts blog

From fainting goats to paralysis, physiologist Frances Ashcroft explains how bioelectricity controls our every move, in The Spark of Life

ELECTRICITY controls our bodies. Every impulse, from those that keep our hearts beating to those that move my fingers across this keyboard, is sent from brain to muscles as an electrical charge.

Frances Ashcroft, a physiologist at the University of Oxford who specialises in ion channels, attempts to explain the body electric in The Spark of Life…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

More from New Scientist

Explore the latest news, articles and features

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop