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
The left–right twist that could rewrite tech
Scientists are harnessing chirality — the left- and right-handedness of molecules — to build better batteries, sharper displays, and more.
Longevity progress is real. So are the scams.
Longevity is in a paradoxical place at the moment, with anti-aging influencers misrepresenting real progress in order to make money.
How a dog’s life could extend yours
Studying animals — from long-lived clams to everyday dogs — is helping scientists understand aging and design therapies to slow decline.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
Living longer — and healthier — starts with boosting your brain
Science is beginning to unravel the reasons behind age-related cognitive decline — and what we can do about it.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
More
Ex-NASA engineer Mark Rober created the world’s smallest Nerf gun — from DNA
Mark Rober and Pallav Kosuri created a Nerf gun so tiny they had to build it out of DNA. This DNA “origami” has the potential to revolutionize engineering.
Dumbing down or wising up: how will generative AI change the way we think?
Artificial intelligence tools are now managing huge swathes of information on our behalf, potentially changing what and how we think.
A short history of insomnia and how we became obsessed with sleep
Insomnia is big business and getting bigger. When did sleep become so important, so elusive, and so expensive?
Sex life discovery raises IVF hope for endangered purple cauliflower soft coral
The purple cauliflower soft coral Dendronephthya australis, now listed as an endangered species, has a new hope of survival with IVF.
Blocking this one protein could strengthen muscles
Stanford researchers have figured out how a therapy that blocks a single protein can reverse age-related muscle loss in mice.
CRISPR cure for HIV now tested in 3 people
Excision BioTherapeutics has shared data from the first human clinical trial of a CRISPR cure for HIV. Here’s what we know — and don’t know.
“Living pharmacies” could mean you never forget to take your meds again
The US government is funding the development of “living pharmacies,” implants containing cells that release medications on demand.
Cardio improves cognitive function & mental health. Here’s the best way to do it at home.
While many people do cardio exercise to keep physically fit, research shows cardio also improves cognitive function and mental health.
MIT’s soft fiber implants could offer drug-free pain relief
An innovative new way to use fiber-pulses to inhibit pain.
Why 20 women were just deliberately exposed to Zika
In a first-of-its-kind human challenge trial, Johns Hopkins University researchers deliberately exposed 20 women to the Zika virus.
New “anti-CRISPR” discovered in viruses
A new “anti-CRISPR” system could help us control gene-editing tech and battle antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Rancid food smells and tastes gross − AI tools may help scientists prevent that spoilage
A group of chemists are using artificial intelligence to extend the life of food products, by teaching AI models about rancidity.
What BMI can’t tell us about our health
Body mass index (BMI) continues to be the go-to tool for medical doctors and population researchers despite saying little about our health.
“Hydrogel” drugs could suppress HIV with minimal treatments
An injectable solution that self-assembles into a hydrogel to deliver 6 weeks of anti-ARV drugs could make managing HIV less of a burden.
AI diagnoses brain tumors in 90 minutes or less
A new AI that can identify the type of brain tumor a patient has while surgeons are removing it could lead to better outcomes.
This bionic hand is fused to a woman’s bones, muscles, and nerves
A new way of merging the body with a bionic hand provided a woman with more control over her prosthetic and less phantom limb pain.
New weight loss drug acts like an “exercise pill”
A new candidate weight loss drug called SLU-PP-332 was found to boost muscular and aerobic endurance in mice.
New brain implant for depression tested in people for the first time
A tiny brain implant designed for at-home neurostimulation has been demonstrated in people for the first time.
“The twin boom”: why twinning is on the rise
Since the 1970s, the rate that twins are born has doubled in most developed countries. What caused this and is it going to change soon?
Exercise scientist explains what your daily step goal should be by your weight
Tracking daily step counts can be a useful tool for weight management, but only if you tailor it to your own body weight.
Special Collection
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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.