When illness knocks at the door, every certainty starts to waver. Even people who have always believed in science suddenly find themselves drawn to easy solutions, miracle promises and alternative routes. Holding a steady course when fear has the upper hand is hard, and however good our intentions, the risk of falling into the abyss of illusion is high. Beatrice Mautino, biotechnologist and science writer, takes us into the folds of the complex relationship between medicine, hope and care. Starting from her own story – an event that forced her to face fear, frustration and the weight of emotion – she weaves in real cases to show the challenges and dilemmas that arise in clinical practice. She guides us through the cracks in the system, tackling pressing subjects such as IVF, research into rare cancers and the often misleading promises of anti-obesity drugs. Some people fight for a therapy that has never been tested; others battle bureaucracy with their hopes hanging by a thread. Some promise almost magical cures; others work quietly and methodically, through successes and failures. And then there is us – protagonists or onlookers, patients or carers, torn between the wish to believe and the need to understand. Trusting science is a daily practice made of difficult questions, solid evidence and informed choices. It means walking along the edge of doubt and, despite the vertigo that seems to take our breath away, finding the fragile but necessary balance that keeps us from losing our way.

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