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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
FDA approves COVID-19 boosters for seniors, high-risk groups (Updated)
The FDA has expanded its authorization of COVID-19 boosters of Pfizer’s vaccine to include seniors and people in high-risk populations.
New portable blood test kit is cheap, fast, and accurate
A new blood test kit that’s fast, portable, and accurate could help bring better healthcare to people in remote and underdeveloped areas.
Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine works in kids
New trial results suggest Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine works in kids between the ages of 5 and 11, safely triggering a robust antibody response.
Can the woolly mammoth save Siberia from climate change?
Harvard geneticist George Church’s new de-extinction startup aims to resurrect the woolly mammoth to help combat permafrost thaw.
Trial of opioid vaccine launches in US
An opioid vaccine that prevents people with opioid use disorder from feeling “high” when they take oxycodone is moving to human trials.
How we doubled our life expectancy in the last 100 years
“The idea of taking a pill and getting better is actually a very recent invention.”
mRNA cancer treatment shrinks tumors in mice
An mRNA cancer treatment in human trials has proven incredibly effective in mice, shrinking tumors in 85% of the rodents tested.
This implanted microchip may one day control your sleep
An implantable, wireless device could be better than popping a pill.
Moderna’s new vaccine targets COVID-19, the flu, and RSV
Moderna is developing a combination vaccine to protect against COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus.
New bionic arm is incredibly close to the real thing
A new bionic arm is so intuitive, wearers think and behave like people without amputations while using it to perform everyday tasks.
Molecular farming could be the future of vaccines
Edible plant-based vaccines could revolutionize how we fight diseases.
Study: COVID-19 booster shots dramatically reduce infection risk
A large COVID-19 booster shot study in Israel found that a third dose significantly increased seniors’ protection against the coronavirus.
Forensic scientists continue mission to identify 9/11 victims
Forensic scientists have identified two more 9/11 victims and will soon use next-generation sequencing to analyze unidentified remains.
UK researchers are growing the Delta variant for human challenge trials
Responding to the variant’s rise, UK researchers are growing the Delta variant for trials.
A blood test for your circadian clock
Your circadian clock controls more than when you sleep and wake. Researchers are developing a simple blood test to try and accurately tell your time.
Cambridge researchers have created a mathematical model for building muscle
Now there’s a mathematical model that could maximize the effectiveness of exercise.
One antibody stops all strains of COVID-19 from infecting cells
A newly discovered antibody can neutralize all strains of COVID-19 and every other sarbecovirus known to infect humans.
World-class surfers help kids with disabilities ride the waves
Ten children with disabilities got a chance to go surfing through an adaptive sports program at NYC’s Hospital for Special Surgery.
Drone ambulances race to help cardiac arrest victims (Updated)
Drone ambulances deliver defibrillators to suspected cardiac arrest victims more quickly than traditional ambulances in a Swedish study.
Mini brains grown in the lab sprout primitive “eyes”
Researchers have grown mini brains with light-sensitive eye structures that could lead to breakthrough treatments for vision disorders.
Special Collection
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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.