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
Future tech could 3D print objects inside your body
Direct sound printing could one day allow doctors to build medical implants inside patients’ bodies instead of surgically placing them.
A vaccine against mosquito saliva may be the key to stopping their diseases
University of Leeds researchers have identified a compound in mosquito saliva as a potential target to protect against multiple viruses.
New test tells you how many T cells for COVID-19 you have
A new blood test that measures a key indicator of COVID-19 immunity could help you assess your risk of a coronavirus infection.
New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function
Researchers used a single-cell sequencing tool Perturb-seq on every expressed gene in the human genome, linking each to its job in the cell.
The age reversal tech that billionaires are banking on
How long can a human being not only live but thrive? A race to find out involves some of the biggest names (and bank accounts) in tech.
A smart bomber for bacteria could help save antibiotics
Brown University researchers have developed a “smart” drug delivery system that only releases its payload when bacteria are present.
Handheld antibody tester could reveal if you’re immune to COVID
Hong Kong researchers have developed a handheld COVID antibody testing device more capable than current home tests.
Theory of mind: What chess and drug dealers can teach you about manipulation
Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someone’s head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do.
We need to know about progress if we’re concerned about the world’s large problems
Our World in Data explains their mission to publish the “research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems.”
Tiny nanoscale drills can bore holes right through bacteria
Rice University researchers have developed tiny, bacteria-boring drills in an effort to stop superbugs.
The key to fighting fungal infections may have been inside us all along
MIT researchers have discovered that complex molecules in mucus can keep fungal infections in check.
“Stealth bomb” for cancer unlocks powerful immune attack
A “masked” cancer drug stealthily trains immune system to kill tumors while sparing healthy tissues, reducing treatment side effects.
Gene therapy fixes rare heart disorder with clever workaround
Cleveland Clinic researchers have developed a gene therapy that cured arrhythmias in mice.
Chinese robot clones pigs with no human help
A robot that automates a common technique for animal cloning has been used to produce a litter of pigs in China.
Stimulating deep sleep may improve brain health, memory, and mood
Researchers are trying to harness deep sleep to bolster the glymphatic system, which helps flush brain tissue.
Self-healing robot skin created out of human cells
University of Tokyo researchers have created a living skin, made from human cells and collagen, for a robotic finger.
The US Civil War drastically reshaped how Americans deal with death – will the pandemic?
How do American’s attitudes towards death change when they are confronted with such enormous losses?
Small trial of cancer immunotherapy sends every patient into remission
Every participant in a small trial testing a rectal cancer immunotherapy has had their disease go into complete remission.
Geopsychology: Your personality depends on where you live
Scientists in the relatively new field of “geopsychology” are seeing links between personality and location.
Three more nations eliminate sleeping sickness as a public health threat
Sleeping sickness is a horrifying disease mainly impacting the rural poor. But three more African nations have succeeded in curtailing its threat.
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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