X-Ray

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

X-rays are powerful, moving through objects undetected, revealing the body as a tryptic of skin, tissue, and bone. X-rays gave rise to a transparent world and the belief that transparency conveys truth. It stands to reason then that our relationship with X-rays would be a complicated one of fear and fascination, acceptance and resistance, confusion and curiosity.

X-ray reveals the paradox of living in an age that relies on X-rays to expose hidden threats to our health and security and fears X-rays for that exposure. Nicole Lobdell explores when, where, and how we use X-rays, what meanings we give them, what metaphors we make out of them, and why, despite our fears, we're still fascinated with them. In doing so, she draws from a variety of fields, including the history of medicine, science and technology studies, literature, art, material culture, film, comics, gender studies, architecture, and industrial design. In the 125 years since their discovery, X-rays haven't changed, but we have.

Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.