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
There may be a way to reverse acetaminophen damage in the liver
New research out of Singapore suggests that a protein thought to help acetaminophen toxicity may do the opposite.
Flying race car zips across the sky for the first time
The world’s first flying race car, the Airspeeder Mk3, has completed its maiden flight and is on track to compete in a first-of-its-kind racing series later in 2021.
The augmented, virtual, human-machine future of surgery is here
Advancements in XR technologies are rapidly integrating into the future of surgery.
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Just Might Work
Biohackers take aim at big pharma’s stranglehold on insulin
These biohackers plan to give away their instructions for how to make insulin for free.
Treatment appears to stop Alzheimer's in monkeys
NYU researchers have modified monkey’s immune system to slow their equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease and improve their cognition.
Urine test for brain cancer detects tumors of any size
A new urine test for brain cancer analyzed microRNAs to correctly identify 100% of patients with brain tumors, regardless of their tumor’s size.
Low doses of nitrous oxide may treat depression
A new, small study has found that low doses of nitrous oxide — laughing gas — can treat symptoms of depression.
MIT researchers can fit more drug in less pill
A new drug formulation method developed by chemical engineers at MIT can fit more drug into less pill.
Surgeons can now practice on a 3D-printed copy of your liver
A new technique for creating life-like 3D-printed livers based on individual patients’ scans could help surgeons be better prepared for operations.
We may have a new ally in the fight against dengue fever
A large trial has provided the best evidence yet that infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia can help reduce dengue infections.
Many amputees couldn’t afford a bionic arm — until now
Indian startup Makers Hive has developed a bionic arm that’s not only 90% cheaper than most, but also more functional.
Beer hops could hold key to preventing common liver disease
Compounds derived from hops might be able to help prevent — or even treat — nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in people.
A virus "chimera" reveals new dengue targets
Using a flavivirus that only infects insects, Australian researchers can safely study more dangerous viruses.
Two opposite kinds of stroke. One promising treatment.
A new stroke treatment could give doctors a way to help victims sooner, improving their chances of avoiding permanent brain damage.
3D-printed liver tissue may be first step to lab-grown organs
A NASA challenge designed to accelerate tissue engineering has announced two winning teams, both of which used 3D bioprinting to create human liver tissue.
Google and Harvard have created the most detailed brain map yet
Google and Harvard have released the most detailed map yet, called a connectome, of a section of the human brain.
Neck-zapping device helps sleep-deprived soldiers think
A handheld device that delivers vagus nerve stimulation was shown to combat the effect of sleep deprivation in soldiers.
Did the flu lose diversity during the pandemic?
After a record-low flu season, an entire clade of flu may be gone. If so, making vaccines may have become easier.
Hope and controversy: FDA approves first new Alzheimer's drug in decades
The FDA has approved the first new Alzheimer’s drug in decades, but the decision brings not only hope, but controversy.
Blood test can quickly tell if a targeted cancer therapy works
The ExoSCOPE blood test can determine with 95% accuracy whether a targeted cancer therapy is working within 24 hours of administration.
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.