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
Only human Lyme vaccine in development enters phase 3 trial
Pfizer and French biotech Valneva have announced a phase 3 clinical trial testing the human Lyme vaccine.
Half of all vaccines are wasted. A gel could save them.
A new hydrogel that wraps around heat-sensitive molecules could help prevent vaccine waste by keeping them viable at higher temperatures.
Transhumanism: Savior of humanity or false prophecy?
While many of the technologies upon which transhumanists base their dream are real and world-changing, they have major limitations.
Smartphones might actually be improving your memory
Rather than causing “digital dementia,” storing important information in a digital device can actually improve memory.
NASA is sending a robot surgeon to the ISS (Updated)
A MIRA surgical robot is heading to the ISS in 2024 so developers can test its potential to help astronauts survive medical emergencies.
What ever happened to the first cryogenically frozen humans?
For decades, people have arranged to freeze their bodies after death, dreaming of resurrection by advanced future medicine.
A new drug could repair stroke damage to memory and movement
A new drug can repair stroke damage in mice, improving memory and motor skills. If it works in humans, it could lead to a paradigm shift in stroke treatment.
Yale team partially revives dead pig organs an hour after death
Yale’s OrganEx technology has been used to partially revive the organs of dead pigs an hour after their hearts stopped beating.
Long COVID-19 and chronic conditions after viral infections may stem from an overactive immune response
Understanding the immunological mechanisms underlying long COVID-19 is the first step to addressing a quickly worsening public health problem.
The Singularity: When will we all become super-humans?
Are we really only a moment away from “The Singularity,” a technological epoch that will usher in a new era in human evolution?
Why don’t surgeons train like fighter pilots? Now some do.
Using AI and analysis, Theator is helping surgeons improve how pilots and pro athletes do: by going to the tape.
The Biden administration is preparing for legal psychedelics within two years
The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has sent a memo supportive of psychedelic therapies. What does that mean for the field?
ADHD drugs might also treat Alzheimer’s disease
Scientists reviewed 40 years of clinical studies that assessed the effects of NA-targeting drugs, such as certain ADHD drugs, on Alzheimer’s.
Jeff Bezos is looking to defy death – this is what we know about the science of aging
Will Bezos’s company succeed in extending the human lifespan? Maybe. But we can all benefit from studying aging.
A cheap nasal spray cuts COVID-19 risk by 62%
A low-cost nasal spray co-developed by Oxford researchers could be the next powerful weapon against COVID-19.
How natural “short sleepers” thrive on 4 hours of sleep per night
Natural “short sleepers” thrive on only four to six hours of sleep per night. Could their genetics explain why?
Your genes may impact psychedelic experiences
UNC researchers have found evidence that the genetic makeup of a crucial receptor may impact your psychedelic experience.
MIT’s new ultrasound sticker lets you see inside your body
MIT researchers have created an ultrasound sticker that can continuously monitor a person’s organs and tissues for up to 48 hours.
How will humans change in the next 10,000 years?
If humans don’t die out in a climate apocalypse or asteroid impact in the next 10,000 years, are we likely to evolve further?
What your weed label really means
Through the largest analysis of commercial cannabis flower yet, Colorado researchers have found that the current labeling system falls short.
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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