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
Nuclear isomers were discovered 100 years ago
Protons and neutrons in an atom’s nucleus can be arranged in different configurations, creating nuclear isomers.
Why at-home STI tests may (finally) be about to take off
Inspired by the home testing of the pandemic and rising STI cases, some experts think that more accessible testing may be an important public health tool.
This already-approved drug could help repair the brain after stroke
Ohio State researchers have found that an already approved anticonvulsant drug helps increase stroke recovery in mice.
Study reveals the dynamics of human milk production
MIT researchers performed a large-scale study of the cells in human breast milk, allowing them to track how these cells change over time.
UK man receives double hand transplant to treat rare disease
UK surgeons have performed the world’s first double hand transplant to treat scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease.
A new treatment may cure neuropathic pain
A gene therapy tested in animals may be a safe, permanent, and non-addictive treatment for neuropathic pain in humans.
New surgery implants living, 3D-printed body parts
A 3D-printed outer ear made from the patient’s own cells has been implanted.
Genetic mutations can be benign or cancerous – here’s a new way to identify them
Identifying the difference between normal genetic variation and disease-causing mutations is vital for determining a person’s treatment.
HIV drug could improve memory
The common HIV drug maraviroc improved memory linking in aging mice and might be able to help people experiencing memory loss, too.
The source of a strange anti-cancer compound is found in Florida
Researchers have discovered that common soft corals are the source of a sought-after anti-cancer compound.
New tech could help prevent 2/3 of hospital-acquired infections
A new treatment could prevent hospital-acquired infections by making it hard for biofilms to form on implanted medical devices.
Why haven’t plastic-eating bacteria fixed the plastic problem yet?
Texas scientists have created an enzyme that could keep billions of pounds of plastic out of landfills.
First CRISPR’d cockroaches open door to other gene-edited insects
It’s now easier for scientists to create gene-edited insects thanks to a new technique called “direct parental CRISPR.”
What is monkeypox, and how we may fight it
As monkeypox cases crop up around the world, vaccines designed for the far deadlier smallpox may play a key role in stopping it.
Ultrathin fuel cell uses the body’s own sugar to generate electricity
Batteries have a limit to how small they can be made, and they need to be charged. What if you could power your own medical device?
New drug combo is “a paradigm shift” in preventing asthma attacks
The combination of a rescue medication and a corticosteroid, taken as needed, reduced both short and long-term risk of asthma attacks.
Nanoparticles are the future of medicine
The success of some drugs that use nanoparticles, such as the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, has prompted excitement among researchers.
Nanobots are real, and they can battle bacteria
Researchers have developed antibiotic nanobots that can traverse a wound on their own.
Watch: Medic in jet suit reaches mountain top in 3.5 minutes
A paramedic in a jet suit flew up a mountain in just 3.5 minutes, demonstrating how the tech could shave valuable minutes off response times.
Will new vaccines be better at fighting coronavirus variants?
New virus-based vaccines could play an important role in generating a long-lasting, broad immunity against a rapidly mutating virus.
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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