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
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.
From cryonics to aging: How AI is transforming human health
From curing rare diseases to extending lifespans, four biotech founders share how AI is rewriting the future of medicine.
What if humans mastered every aspect of nature?
A bold vision of a 10x better future where humanity has mastered biology, energy, and matter to unlock unprecedented progress.
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
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.
Psychedelics are helping dying patients overcome their existential distress
End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.
New MS treatment targets the gut microbiome
We may be able to prevent chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis patients by manipulating their gut microbiomes.
Small wonders: The antibodies from camels and sharks that could change medicine
A handful of animals make a pared-down version of our own antibodies. Scientists hope to harness them as treatments for human illnesses.
Inhaling this powder shields lungs from infection
An inhalable powder that acts as an “invisible mask” for the lungs could potentially help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
New light therapy could make cancer treatment better and safer
A new light-activated cancer treatment developed in the UK could make existing therapies better and safer.
A new look at the strange case of the first gene-edited babies
Did He Jiankui “Make People Better”? A new documentary leans toward a different narrative about gene-editing than we’ve heard before.
First: Spinal cord stimulation helps stroke survivors control arms again
Spinal cord stimulation has been shown to improve upper-limb mobility in stroke survivors for the first time.
New study discovers how to reverse hearing loss
A new study of hair cell regeneration in mice could help researchers figure out how to reverse hearing loss in people.
This $1 pill cuts binge drinking
Naltrexone, a medication that costs less than $1 per dose, helped people cut back on their binge drinking in a small study
Herpes virus helped kill a deadly form of breast cancer in a clinical trial
A combination of an engineered herpes virus and chemo showed promise for treating triple-negative breast cancer in a small study.
A single dose of an old drug could save 2 million mothers from sepsis every year
A large international study has found that a single oral dose of a common antibiotic can “significantly” reduce the risk of maternal sepsis
How diet influences the conflict between cell “cooperators” and “cheaters”
Cancer-protective microbes support cooperative behaviour by bodily cells, but cancer-inducing microbes undermine it.
Startup plants first GMO trees designed for carbon removal
Living Carbon is ready to begin planting thousands of GMO trees engineered to pull 27% more carbon from the air.
Will “The Singularity” rescue us from death?
In transhumanism, “The Singularity” promises possibility of uploading your consciousness into silicon, guaranteeing a kind of immortality.
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.
Get inspired with the most innovative stories shaping the world around us.