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
Antibody cocktail highly effective at preventing COVID-19
An antibody cocktail developed by biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca was highly effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.
Brain-wide gene editing may one day treat Alzheimer’s
Researchers have developed a brain-wide gene editing technique that treated Alzheimer’s disease in mice.
Tiny magnetic beads and turkeys may lead to better prosthetic limbs
MIT and Brown researchers have developed a technique using implanted magnetic beads that they hope will lead to better control of prosthetic limbs.
Researchers have 3D-printed an active tumor
Tel Aviv University researchers have 3D-printed an active glioblastoma tumor, potentially paving a way to better study the lethal brain cancer.
MIT has created an inflatable prosthetic hand
MIT researchers have created a soft, inflatable prosthetic hand that provides advanced abilities at a fraction of the cost and weight.
The bold plan to bring back the American chestnut
Researchers plant a small experimental orchard of hundreds of transgenic American chestnut trees near the coast of Maine, to restore the species.
India’s DNA vaccine for COVID-19 gets emergency approval
India has granted emergency approval to the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID-19.
Who to watch for at the Tokyo Paralympics
Here are five athletes to watch at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and one Afghan competitor whose future at the Games is still uncertain.
Scientists are vacuuming DNA from the air to study biodiversity
Researchers have proven that the atmosphere contains measurable amounts of eDNA, and they can vacuum it from the sky.
Pfizer’s shot is the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine
Pfizer’s shot has become the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, making the transition from emergency use authorization on August 23.
Beyond Sunday Service: How one Montgomery church is bringing health equity to their community
A grassroots approach to vaccine education is happening in the heart of the civil rights movement in Alabama. Does this church hold the key to overcoming medical mistrust?
How a brain implant can stop pain instantly (in rats)
A new brain implant can instantly detect pain signals and provide bursts of stimulation that are pain-relieving. Researchers have shown it to be successful in rodents.
Farmers in England begin massive DIY “rewilding” effort
Farmers in East Anglia are organizing what may be England’s largest rewilding project.
Scientists grew healthy mice from artificial eggs cells and ovaries
For the first time, researchers have created mice from egg cells and ovaries grown from stem cells.
Wasps inspire a new surgical needle
The next new surgical tool may come from an odd place: parasitic wasps whose eggs eat their hosts inside-out.
Implantable “neurograins” may be the key to mind-controlled tech
A new kind of brain-computer interface uses tiny neural implants called “neurograins” to record brain activity in rats.
New organ coating could help prevent transplant rejection
A coating for donor organs that minimized the chance of transplant rejection in mice might one day eliminate the need for immunosuppressants.
Using body bags to treat heatstroke
The Pacific Northwest heat wave crushed hospitals with heatstroke victims. Doctors turned to body bags to save lives.
Fecal transplants reverse aging in brains of old mice
Fecal transplants from younger to older mice appear to reverse aging in the brains of the seniors, improving their memories and cognition.
Ancient frozen viruses hold clues to life and climate
Using new techniques, researchers at Ohio State have identified ancient viruses we’ve never seen before.
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.