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
Lizard regenerates perfect tail thanks to stem cells
A USC study that prompted lizards to regenerate tails that were “perfect” could help facilitate breakthroughs in human regeneration.
First-ever: drone delivers lungs for transplant
An uncrewed drone has carried a pair of lungs from Toronto Western Hospital to Toronto General Hospital. It was the first time lungs were transported by drone anywhere in the world.
Cooling caps can help prevent chemo hair loss
Chemo hair loss is a common side effect for cancer patients, but cooling caps can help limit the loss.
HIV treatment gets green light for human trials
Excision BioTherapeutics is cleared to begin human trials of a CRISPR-based HIV treatment that’s administered in just one IV infusion.
Architects design new mental health facilities with healing in mind
Architects are incorporating neuroaesthetics insights into designs for medical facilities in an attempt to promote positive mental health.
Johns Hopkins receives the first NIH grant for clinical psychedelic research in half a century
For the first time in decades, the National Institutes of Health is funding a clinical psychedelic study, perhaps a turning point for the field.
New water purification tablet makes river water safe to drink
A new water purification tablet that simply and quickly decontaminates river water could help address global drinking water scarcity.
Surgeons connected a pig kidney to a human
Scientists linked a pig’s kidney to a human body for the first time. This breakthrough experiment marks one step closer toward the goal of using animal organs for life-saving transplants.
Ear sensor can monitor COVID-19 patients remotely
An ear sensor successfully alerted doctors to signs that COVID-19 patients isolating at home were getting worse and should be hospitalized.
Smart microscope slides make breast cancer cells leap off screen
Breast cancer cells appear brightly colored when placed on new smart microscope slides, which could help doctors diagnose patients earlier.
CRISPR is revolutionizing medicine — its origin story is pretty incredible, too
The origin story of CRISPR highlights how groundbreaking discoveries can emerge from run-of-the-mill research.
New cardiac patch can be implanted with a syringe
A new cardiac patch developed by Canadian scientists could help repair heart damage by supporting tissue without blocking electrical activity.
Brain implant relieves woman’s treatment-resistant depression
A woman with severe treatment-resistant depression has found relief, thanks to “pacemaker” implanted in her brain by UCSF researchers.
Here’s why sensory perception research was awarded a Nobel Prize
Physiologists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their research on human sensory perception.
Therapy can relieve chronic back pain by rewiring the brain
A psychological treatment for chronic back pain left two-thirds of study participants with little-to-no pain after just one month.
WHO recommends its first malaria vaccine
A malaria vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline, Mosquirix, has been recommended for use by the World Health Organization.
CRISPR partially restores vision in colorblind people
Scientists used CRISPR to direct edit DNA inside a healthy human cell, restoring partial vision to blind people.
Wearable health monitors help predict flu before symptoms start
A human challenge trial suggests that wearable health monitors could help predict flu and cold infections before symptoms appear.
This gene-edited tomato may help lower your blood pressure
A gene-edited tomato that may be able to lower your blood pressure is the first CRISPR-edited food to be sold commercially.
An at-home test to find your best birth control option
Seattle-based startup adyn is developing an at-home testing kit to help women find their best birth control method.
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.