--- title: Control of Life: Pictures From a Medical Revolution, 1965 description: LIFE.com republishes part of a 1965 LIFE magazine series that grappled with some of the era's most exciting and troubling advances in science and medicine. canonical: https://time.com/3874948/control-of-life-pictures-from-a-medical-revolution-1965/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2012-11-15T04:38:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:54.763Z og:title: Control of Life: Pictures From a Medical Revolution, 1965 og:description: LIFE.com republishes part of a 1965 LIFE magazine series that grappled with some of the era's most exciting and troubling advances in science and medicine. og:url: https://time.com/3874948/control-of-life-pictures-from-a-medical-revolution-1965/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08cd0e38c79e08e3/698848ad524fc03a54df1d52/01_012012491.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: Control of Life og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Control of Life: Pictures From a Medical Revolution, 1965 twitter:description: LIFE.com republishes part of a 1965 LIFE magazine series that grappled with some of the era's most exciting and troubling advances in science and medicine. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08cd0e38c79e08e3/698848ad524fc03a54df1d52/01_012012491.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Control of Life: Pictures From a Medical Revolution, 1965 > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b8733e11-f180-41f0-8ac0-857c5256f58b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b8733e11-f180-41f0-8ac0-857c5256f58b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=b8733e11-f180-41f0-8ac0-857c5256f58b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Nov 15, 2012 4:38 AM UTC  Caption from Life. "Seen through porthole, a fetus, attached by umbilical cord to placenta floating above it, gets oxygen through skin from surrounding fluid. Hand at left is adjusting valve to let in nutrients." Caption from Life. "Seen through porthole, a fetus, attached by umbilical cord to placenta floating above it, gets oxygen through skin from surrounding fluid. Hand at left is adjusting valve to let in nutrients."Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Nov 15, 2012 4:38 AM UTC In September 1965, LIFE magazine presented its millions of readers with a lengthy, thoughtful feature that it characterized as the first in an ambitious four-part series “on the profound and astonishing biological revolution.” Titled _Control of Life_, the series sought to create a framework within which LIFE could grapple with some of the most exciting and troubling recent (at the time) advances in science and medicine. The magazine described the intent of the four-part series in these words: --- > “” --- --- > “” --- Today, as previously unthinkable medical advances — from prenatal whole-gene sequencing to non-invasive cancer screening to at-home HIV tests — become more routine (if no less mind-blowing), and as ethical questions swirl around entire fields of research, LIFE.com presents photos from that first installment in the _Control of Life_ series, as well as page spreads from the issue itself. ---  Caption from Life. "Seen through porthole, a fetus, attached by umbilical cord to placenta floating above it, gets oxygen through skin from surrounding fluid. Hand at left is adjusting valve to let in nutrients." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  ![Caption from Life. "A 104-day-old \[monkey\] fetus is reinserted after being hooked up for heart and blood tests when it is back in the womb."](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77a37f3f38a1be3f/698848aee53aba03b44dce3c/02_1203612.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp) Caption from Life. "A 104-day-old \[monkey\] fetus is reinserted after being hooked up for heart and blood tests when it is back in the womb." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from Life. "Sound waves traveling through fluid-filled bag at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia produce a profile of a normal baby's head on screen beside bed." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  A machine simulates placental exchange of mother and fetus. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from Life. "Drugs are added to milk flowing to infant opossum in tank that simulates a mother opposum's pouch." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Blood flows to and from placenta in tubes that simulate mother's circulatory system." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from Life. "A technician measures lumps containing dead fetuses in cow's amniotic sac where two other 13-week-old fetuses show normal growth. Brown spots on the uterine wall make up cow's placenta." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from Life. Intra-uterine birth-control devices. \*\*please note, this image ran in color in the story - our archive only has a black and white version. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Carrots grow from single cells without pollination. Seen under microscope, fledglings begin to take in typical embryo form. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Carrots grow from single cells without pollination. Tiny pieces are punched out of a sliced carrot root, then treated so individual cells can be separated. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  A healthy carrot, grown from a single unpollinated cell is displayed in test tube beside udder-shaped flask which is rotated to shake individual cells loose from pieces of carrots. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  An embryo calf from one cow is put into another. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Cow embryos injected through a tube into the uterus of a rabbit. The uterus is attached to the rabbit which is covered by gauze. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Cow embryo transferred into rabbit. Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images  A set of dummy vials which "could contain "he barnyard of the future -- complete with farmer." Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images   Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine  Page layout from September 15, 1965, issue of LIFE. Life Magazine ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3874948/control-of-life-pictures-from-a-medical-revolution-1965/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3874948/control-of-life-pictures-from-a-medical-revolution-1965/"},"headline":"Control of Life: Pictures From a Medical Revolution, 1965","datePublished":"2012-11-15T04:38:33.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:03:54.763Z","description":"LIFE.com republishes part of a 1965 LIFE magazine series that grappled with some of the era's most exciting and troubling advances in science and medicine.","url":"https://time.com/3874948/control-of-life-pictures-from-a-medical-revolution-1965/","keywords":["Culture","medicine","Genetics","Biology","Science and Technology","1965"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08cd0e38c79e08e3/698848ad524fc03a54df1d52/01_012012491.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ben Cosgrove","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt08cd0e38c79e08e3/698848ad524fc03a54df1d52/01_012012491.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Control of Life","caption":"Seen through porthole, a fetus, attached by umbilical cord to placenta floating above it, gets oxygen through skin from surrounding fluid. Hand at left is adjusting valve to let in nutrients.","creditText":"Fritz Goro—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/culture/","name":"Culture"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3874948/control-of-life-pictures-from-a-medical-revolution-1965/","name":"Control of Life: Pictures From a Medical Revolution, 1965"}}]}] ```