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
Ancient Olympians wouldn’t qualify for today’s Games
Across history, the human body has been reshaped by discipline, medicine, and now technology — each era redefining peak performance.
Why AI gets stuck in infinite loops — but conscious minds don’t
Anil Seth suggests the difference is that living beings are rooted in time and entropy, a grounding that may be essential for consciousness.
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.
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
Computer-designed miniproteins unleash a whole new kind of drugs
Using a computer program, researchers have created miniproteins that they hope can lead to new drugs.
This wristband tells you what food to buy based on your DNA
By analyzing genetic code determining susceptibility to health conditions like diabetes, it tells you which foods are best for you.
An ancient enzyme could supercharge photosynthesis
Researchers have resurrected an ancient version of the enzyme Rubisco in the hope of supercharging photosynthesis in today’s plants.
T cells and viruses, an unlikely duo, team up to kill tumors
A new Mayo Clinic-developed immunotherapy combining CAR-T cells and cancer-killing viruses looks promising in mouse models.
Drug to treat alcoholism could also safely reduce anxiety
The alcoholism treatment disulfiram may be able to serve double-duty as an anti-anxiety medication, according to mouse studies.
We overwash our bodies because bad odors are uniquely disgusting
Overwashing is bad for skin health, but many people do it anyway. One reason is that our brains intimately associate stink with disgust.
Bacteria living inside tumors help cancer spread through the blood
Intracellular bacteria promote cancer metastasis by enhancing the tumor cells’ resistance to mechanical stress in the bloodstream.
New $5-device allows healthy sperm cells to isolate themselves
About 10% of men are infertile, and often their sperm is to blame. This device could help separate the healthy cells from the others.
Mutations in 16 species reveal clues to human aging
A surprising pattern in how often mammal cells undergo somatic mutations could be a boon to longevity research.
Build strength with only three seconds of weight lifting per day?
Researchers have found that a four-week program consisting of three seconds of weight lifting per day for five days a week boosts strength.
Meningitis vaccine appears to protect against gonorrhea, too
Young people who received a meningitis vaccine appeared to be protected against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, too.
Stanford scientists can control specific brain cells at a distance
Using infrared light and a Nobel Prize-winning molecule that detects chili pepper heat, researchers can control brain cells from a distance.
People trust AI fake faces more than real ones, research suggests
Fake faces created by artificial intelligence (AI) are considered more trustworthy than images of real people, a study finds.
Man builds his own bionic hand out of melted plastic bottles
After creating a bionic hand for himself, Peruvian engineer Enzo Romero launched a company to sell the low-cost prosthetics to others.
A “magnetic tentacle robot” could hunt down cancer deep in your lungs
UK researchers have developed a small, flexible, snake-like “magnetic tentacle robot” to navigate deep into the lungs.
A shapeshifting volcano virus’s secret has been discovered
The secret to a shapeshifting volcano virus may help us create new, better drug and vaccine delivery platforms.
Does this artificial intelligence think like a human?
A new technique compares the reasoning of a machine-learning model to that of a human, so the user can see patterns in the model’s behavior.
These upcoming cancer vaccines may prevent tumors before they appear
A new generation of preventative cancer vaccines for non-viral cancers are set to enter their first trials.
Psychedelics, brain implants, and the future of chronic pain relief
The future of chronic pain relief could include psychedelics, gene therapies, brain implants, and other cutting-edge alternatives to opioids.
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.