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
Experimental procedure zaps nerves to lower blood pressure
Renal denervation, a procedure that uses ultrasound pulses to zap renal nerves, showed promise as a treatment for resistant hypertension in a recent trial.
Sperm may play a bigger role in pregnancy than we thought
Sperm appear to play a bigger role in pregnancy than previously believed, not only fertilizing the egg, but also “persuading” the female body to accept it.
What it’s like to do a human challenge trial
Human challenge trials are risky, but they could help us avoid another prolonged pandemic.
Old dogs are helping scientists combat human aging
By studying donated tissues stored in a pet dog biobank, researchers have uncovered a genetic link between brain aging in canines and humans.
The DNA-based diet you’ll be hearing about everywhere
A growing field called “nutrigenomics” aims to provide people with personalized lifestyle guidance based on their DNA
Molecular "tweezers" pick apart bacterias' biofilm
Israeli researchers have developed a set of “molecular tweezers” that can pick apart the biofilm which protects some bacteria.
Your incentives to get the COVID-19 vaccine
If protection against a potentially deadly virus isn’t enough, there are these added incentives to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gene therapy appears to cure “bubble boy disease”
A new gene therapy designed to treat children with ADA-SCID, a form of “bubble boy disease,” was incredibly successful in trials.
Ketamine infusion: What it’s like and how it works
Ketamine infusion therapy takes the anesthetic from dance floors to depression clinics. But how does the drug work, and what is it like?
1 billion genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the U.S.
Oxitec recently released genetically modified mosquitoes on three of the Florida Keys. The idea is that they will curb the spread of diseases by decreasing populations of Aedes aegypti.
This new gene editing technology rivals CRISPR
Researchers find a new gene-editing technology using retrons from bacterial DNA.
These "Nanotraps" can capture SARS-CoV-2
Inspired by cancer cells, researchers have developed “Nanotraps” which lock up SARS-CoV-2 for the immune system to kill it.
Hidden Brain podcast's Shankar Vedantam: Why the truth is not always helpful
His new book explores the benefits of self-deception.
MDMA for PTSD just crushed its phase 3 trial
Results from the first phase 3 trial of using MDMA for PTSD along with talk therapy found the drug to be effective.
Supercentenarians’ DNA reveals clues to human longevity
A human longevity study involving people over the age of 105 has found that genetic variants linked to DNA repair appear to contribute to a longer life.
New brain-computer interface turns mental handwriting into text
A new brain-computer interface translated a paralyzed man’s “mental handwriting” into text on a computer screen.
How a smartphone app is helping suppress HIV
An HIV app that uses gaming elements to motivate people to stick to their ART regimen was able to increase viral suppression in a small study.
3D-printed nose cartilage may someday fix your face
Researchers have developed a way to bioprint nose cartilage that they hope will one day minimize the need for invasive harvesting from the ribs.
How will movie theaters survive post-pandemic?
Chicago musician Chance the Rapper is releasing his new concert film, “Magnificent Coloring World,” exclusively through AMC Theatres.
"Octopus vision" may help prevent human blindness
A new medical device that gives optometrists a fast, easy way to monitor a key macular degeneration risk factor was inspired by octopus vision.
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.