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
First woman cured of HIV through stem cell transplant
A woman has been cured of HIV through a transplant of umbilical cord blood, which is easier to match to patients than bone marrow.
Inhaled vaccine for coronavirus moves to human trials
An inhaled vaccine now moving into human trials could protect people from more than just the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
New breed of pig will provide organs for human transplantation
German researchers are breeding a new type of pig that’s been genetically modified to have organs ideal for human transplantation.
MIT engineers invent surgical “duct tape”
MIT’s biodegradable surgical tape is designed to seal tears in the gastrointestinal tract, potentially preventing sepsis-causing leaks.
Monkeys’ alcohol consumption drops 50% after hormone therapy
Heavy-drinking monkeys cut their alcohol consumption by 50% after researchers treated them with a hormone called “FGF21.”
Coffee mug company builds high-tech box to keep vaccines cold
Smart mug company Ember has created a shipping container to help bolster the medicine cold chain.
Smartphone COVID test is as accurate as PCR test
Researchers created a smartphone-based test kit that will test for the viruses that cause COVID and flu. Early research has shown that the kit is as accurate as standard lab-based testing but much faster.
Bionic eye implants enable a blind person to see again
Doctors successfully implanted a microchip in a woman’s retina, restoring some vision to her blind eye.
Magnetic “seed” heats and kills tumors in new cancer therapy
A novel cancer therapy uses a magnetic “seed” to precisely target and kill brain tumor cells without the need for open brain surgery.
MIT tests pill to deliver RNA vaccines and therapies
A tortoise-inspired capsule designed by MIT can deliver RNA vaccines and other nucleic acid therapeutics without injections.
Researchers can predict rats’ behavior by reading their brains
A team at the University of Oregon have decoded the patterns of brain activity to predict basic actions in mice.
Cataract surgery associated with lower risk of dementia
In a new study of thousands of patients, those who had cataract surgery had a reduction in dementia risk.
Guinea worm disease is near eradication, Carter Center says
After decades of work, cases of human Guinea worm disease are in the double digits — putting elimination of the painful infection in sight.
Drug that cleans up cholesterol may reduce post stroke dementia
Researchers look to an FDA-approved drug ingredient that can “scoop-up” and store cholesterol and possibly stave off post stroke dementia.
Surgery robot outperforms humans at “keyhole surgery”
Johns Hopkins’ autonomous surgery robot, STAR, performed a tricky keyhole surgery on live pigs better than a human surgeon could.
“BioDome” triggers near-complete limb regeneration in frogs
A new limb regeneration treatment allowed adult African clawed frogs to regrow near-complete functional legs following amputation.
Gene therapy shows promise at treating severe form of epilepsy
A new Dravet syndrome treatment that targets genes could help extend the lives of people with the rare, but severe form of epilepsy.
Harm reduction vending machines are coming to New York
New York City has announced a pilot program installing public health vending machines with overdose drugs and clean needles.
Mark Cuban launches online pharmacy to cut drug prices
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has launched an online pharmacy designed to cut the cost of generic drugs by as much as 99%.
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.