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
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.
How consensus can undermine science
The main objective of consensus statements appears to be to reduce doubt, which may stifle scientific inquiry.
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.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
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.
The next era of psychedelics may be precision-designed states of consciousness
A look inside Mindstate Design Labs’ effort to design drugs that reliably produce specific states of consciousness.
Biohacking
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.
Boosted Breeding and beyond: 3 tech trends that could end world hunger
A world without hunger is possible, and the development and deployment of new farming technologies could be one key to manifesting it.
New AI generates CRISPR proteins unlike any seen in nature
An AI that generates CRISPR proteins is opening the door to gene editors with capabilities beyond what we’ve found in nature.
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
Does online opioid treatment work?
A sudden shift to virtual health care has increased access — and possibly outcomes — for patients with opioid use disorder.
“Zombie virus” revived after 48,500 years in permafrost
A newly discovered “zombie virus” was still able to infect hosts more than 48,500 years after it was trapped in Siberian permafrost.
Volunteers were purposefully infected with COVID-19. Was it worth it?
It has been a year since the first COVID human challenge data was published. What did we learn, and can HCTs prepare us for the future?
“Digital detoxes” don’t work. Try these 4 skills instead
Digital distractions have become a ubiquitous part of work and life. But these distractions begin with emotional discomfort.
Watch: Scientists breed flame-resistant cotton, without added chemicals
USDA researchers have developed self-extinguishing cotton lines, potentially cutting down on the need for flame retardants in the future.
New drug could extend lives of people with deadly bone cancer
A new drug might extend the lives of people with bone cancer without subjecting them to painful or unpleasant treatments.
Scientists inject stem cells into the brain of Parkinson’s patient
A new stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease has just been administered to the brain of a person for the first time.
New kind of pill cut “bad” cholesterol up to 60% in clinical trial
In a phase 2 trial, a daily oral medication reduced LDL cholesterol levels by up to 60%.
Exercise is even more effective than counselling or medication for depression
A recent study showed exercise is an effective way to treat mental health issues – and can be more effective than medication or counselling.
Scientists treated heart attacks in mice — before they happened
By toggling an important heart gene, scientists have treated mice for a heart attack preemptively.
Space travel will radically change human psychology and spirituality
We are living in a period of living and traveling in space. If we continue on this trajectory, we will develop new spiritual views.
New transplant technique cures type 1 diabetes in monkeys
Massachusetts General researchers have developed a new form of transplantation that cured type 1 diabetes in monkeys.
Tirzepatide: A novel obesity drug ushers in a new era of weight loss — because this one works (Updated)
Patients who received tirzepatide in a recent clinical study lost more than 20% of their body weight (52 pounds, or 23.6 kg).
New 3D bioprinter could repair organs inside the human body
A snake-like soft robot designed to 3D bioprint tissues inside patients’ bodies might one day replace invasive implantation surgeries.
Cyborg fish grow electrodes in their brains and fins
A gel that turns into an electrode once inside the body might end the need for invasive implantation surgeries.
Lasers can help prevent surgical site infections in hospitals
Canadian company Ondine is using laser frequencies to help prevent surgical site infections.
Breakthrough study discovers that psychedelics breach our neurons
Researchers have discovered that psychedelics can activate 5-HT2A receptors inside of cortical neurons, a possible cause of their therapeutic effects.
Oral bacteria trigger rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups
Periodontal (gum) disease is more common in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, implicating the former in causing the latter.
First at-home test can tell you if it’s COVID or flu
The FDA has granted authorization to an at-home test that can tell COVID from flu, the first of its kind.
Special Collection
Collection
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.
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