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
Inside your nose, it’s bacteria vs. bacteria in the fight against meningitis
Researchers have found that nose drops containing “friendly” bacteria can protect people against meningitis-causing bacteria.
Adding one gene to rice and potatoes increased yields by 50%
The insertion of a gene found in animals prompted potato and rice plants to produce 50% more food and exhibit drought-resistant qualities.
Baby mice “dream” about the world before seeing it
Before the eyes of baby mice open, their brains appear to use retinal waves to prep their vision systems to detect objects and motion.
New antibodies may lead to a norovirus vaccine
Researchers have discovered antibodies that neutralize a variety of norovirus strains, a possible step toward an effective norovirus vaccine.
New treatment reverses age-related memory loss in mice
A treatment that reversed age-related memory loss in mice could one day treat or prevent such cognitive decline in older people.
Toyota’s autonomous shuttle is optimized for Olympians
Tokyo Olympians are riding around the Olympic Village in Toyota’s e-Palette, an autonomous shuttle designed with their needs in mind.
Harvard has a vaccine against septic shock
A new vaccine platform based on biomaterial may eventually provide rapid protection against multiple bacterial threats.
DeepMind releases massive protein structure database
DeepMind is releasing a massive database of protein structure predictions that includes all the molecules in the human proteome.
Olympic swimmers get speed boost from pool engineers
We already know that Olympic swimmers are fast, but Olympic swimming pools can be engineered to be “fast,” too.
This 3D-printed graft may improve ruptured eardrum surgery
Researchers at Harvard have developed a 3D-printed graft they hope will make ruptured eardrum surgeries safer, faster, and more effective.
New vaccines may use AI to hit a moving target
Can AI create vaccines that work against mutations that haven’t happened yet, groups of viruses, and virus too tricky to currently stop?
FDA approves first drug to treat lymphoma in dogs
The FDA has approved a medication specifically designed to treat lymphoma in dogs, potentially helping extend the lives of thousands of pets.
CRISPR used to create first gene-edited opossums
CRISPR technology has been used to create gene-edited opossums, a breakthrough that could have huge implications for medical research.
Lucky accident shows how immune system can beat MRSA without antibiotics
Researchers have accidentally found that blocking caspase enzymes can make mouse immune responses more robust.
Door-to-door vaccination campaign reaches the most vulnerable
An equitable door-to-door vaccination campaign might be just what it takes to help the U.S.’s most vulnerable communities fight COVID-19.
The world’s first needle-free diabetes test
A needle-free diabetes test that measures glucose levels from saliva, not blood, could be ready for consumers as soon as 2023.
Neuroprosthesis lets paralyzed man “speak” whole words again
An experimental neuroprosthesis that translates brain activity into words on a computer screen has given a paralyzed man back his “voice.”
Ancient human’s genome sequenced from DNA in cave dirt
Researchers have sequenced the genome of one of the ancient humans who lived in Satsurblia Cave 25,000 years ago using samples of cave dirt.
CRISPR halts coronavirus transmission in human cells
A new CRISPR treatment that halted coronavirus transmission in human cells could be the easy-to-distribute COVID-19 drug the world needs.
Yale study: magic mushrooms may grow connections between brain cells
A single dose of psilocybin caused increased growth in neuron-connecting dendritic spines in mice.
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.