Biotech
Human history has been all but defined by death and disease, plague and pandemic. Advancements in 20th century medicine changed all of that. Now advancements in 21st century medicine promise to go even further. Could we bring about an end to disease? Reverse aging? Give hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind? The answer may be yes. And soon.
Featured
Ancient Olympians wouldn’t qualify for today’s Games
Across history, the human body has been reshaped by discipline, medicine, and now technology — each era redefining peak performance.
Why AI gets stuck in infinite loops — but conscious minds don’t
Anil Seth suggests the difference is that living beings are rooted in time and entropy, a grounding that may be essential for consciousness.
We purged worms from our bodies — and may have made ourselves sick
Biotech labs are mining worm chemistry to design medicines that calm the immune system without the risks of live infection.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
Inside a neuroscientist’s quest to cure coma
Thousands of Americans are trapped in disorders of consciousness. Neuroscientist Daniel Toker is searching for a way out.
Pac-Man turned 45 today. The surgeon general once warned that playing it could make kids violent.
Officials’ warnings about the impact of video games on kids were never proven true. They may be making the same mistake with social media.
Flexible brain implant takes major leap forward
The FDA’s clearance of Precision Neuroscience’s flexible electrode array pushes the startup ahead in the race to BCI commercialization.
Biohacking
Three founders look to the future at Freethink’s inaugural Great Progression event
The tech community came together for the launch of the Great Progression event series, curated by Peter Leyden and produced by Freethink.
We’re able to create new creatures through gene editing. What’s stopping us?
The question isn’t whether we can sculpt new life. The question is what comes next.
This conservationist is trying to bring extinct species back to life
Ryan Phelan, co-founder of Revive & Restore, talks about the future of conservation at Freethink’s Great Progression event.
Ray Kurzweil explains how AI makes radical life extension possible
Life expectancy gains in developed countries have slowed in recent decades, but AI may be poised to transform medicine as we know it.
Vaccines
Personalized cancer vaccines are having a moment
Personalized cancer vaccines were a recurring theme at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in 2024.
The threat of avian flu — and what we can do to stop it
Avian flu is infecting cows on US dairy farms, and now a person has caught it — but new research could help us avoid a bird flu pandemic.
One shot recreates younger immune systems, in mice
An antibody treatment designed to revitalize an aging immune system delivers “surprising” results in elderly mice.
More
Neuroscience has a low-tech answer for a good night's sleep
Neuroscientists say that we may be ignoring a basic fact that could defuse the “screen-time wars” between parents…
We're mapping 100 trillion human cells (and all of their genes)
The “Human BioMolecular Atlas” will map the active genes in over 200 types of cells and 80 different organ systems.
A skin graft cures cocaine cravings (in mice)
A CRISPR skin graft looks like a promising way to deliver gene therapy.
Steven Pinker makes the case for optimism
Are things really worse than ever, or are we missing the bigger picture?
Personal genetics might solve the opioid crisis – and the pain crisis
Why does pain hurt more for some people? Why do others feel nothing at all?
To eradicate TB, we need old-fashioned ambition
The Ebola outbreak sparked more medical innovation in two years than TB has in decades, even though TB is killing…
Meet the 380 trillion viruses inside your body
Scientists aren’t exactly sure yet what the “virome” is up to, but it’s probably important.
A new kind of headset “hears” words you don’t say
The project, named AlterEgo, intentionally crosses the line between what’s “out there” and what’s in your head.
The 2018 Nobel Prize could mark a turning point in the war on cancer
More than one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime; new discoveries are helping them…
A new stem cell treatment can heal burns, bedsores, and diabetic ulcers
In addition to healing injuries, the approach could be useful for repairing skin damage, countering the effects of…
How the Phoenix is fighting addiction with fitness
Meet the group that is helping thousands of people transform their lives and unlock their potential.
Can science make people live healthier for longer?
An MIT researcher has turned 30 years of aging research into something you can use right now.
Why a third of antidepressants are prescribed for "off-label" problems
The “secret life of antidepressants” could open up a host of new treatments.
Zika could be a “smart missile” for brain cancer
Zika can devastate fetal brains; scientists want to turn it against brain tumors instead.
Brains store memories in a temporary "cache" (and we can read it)
Like the day’s newspaper, the brain has a temporary way to keep track of events.
FDA approves first mute button for genetic diseases
It is the first of “a wave of advances that have the potential to transform medicine.”
Are "CRISPR kids" the new "test-tube babies"?
Forty years later, IVF shows how fears about new technology can fade.
New evidence suggests viruses may trigger Alzheimer’s
For the first time in a long time, there’s a new direction for potential Alzheimer’s treatments.
High tech archaeology found a new way to screen for vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is an age-old problem, but new techniques from archaeology may be the key to catching it early.
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The Science of Death
Explore the journey from life to death and beyond. Near-death experiences, death doulas, digital immortality, and more – join us for a thoughtful exploration of one life’s most intriguing and inevitable phenomena with stories from the frontlines of death.
Get inspired with the most innovative stories shaping the world around us.