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
Stunning “agar art” grows pictures with bacteria and fungi
Agar art lets scientists tap into their creative sides by growing microbes into beautiful bioart scenes in petri dishes.
Researchers have built a mini-lab for mini-brains
Researchers have created a “tiny machine” to better study brain organoids, clumps of stem cells that simulate the brain.
It's now possible to diagnose concussions with saliva
Saliva was used to diagnose concussions with 94% accuracy, suggesting that an objective concussion test may finally be within reach.
CRISPR fixes rare mutation for the first time in a live animal
For the first time in a live animal, researchers have successfully reversed a gene mutation, called a “duplication mutation,” by gene editing.
IBM’s artificial intelligence may help us defeat superbugs
A new AI tool detected 20 viable drug candidates in less than two months
DoorDash is now offering COVID-19 test delivery
DoorDash is now offering COVID-19 test delivery in 12 cities, bringing at-home COVID-19 test kits to people the same day they’re ordered.
A plant-based COVID vaccine is going into arms
A COVID-19 vaccine grown in plants is beginning phase 3 clinical trials.
Virus hidden in human for years may have caused new ebola outbreak
A genetic report shows that a survivor of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in Guinea is likely to have begun the latest episode.
Researchers have developed a “plant communication” device
Plants emit weak electric signals. Researchers have developed a device to read and send signals back — a type of “plant communication.”
Researchers have grown a mouse embryo in a bottle
Researchers have grown a mouse embryo outside the uterus for longer than ever before, opening up the door to learning more about how mammals grow.
Scientists grow tear gland organoids that can actually cry
Researchers have grown tear gland organoids that can actually cry, a potential breakthrough in the treatment of dry eye disease.
One mosquito protein weakens several deadly flaviviruses
A mosquito protein that targets the viral envelope of flaviviruses, inhibiting their activity, could help doctors treat several life-threatening diseases.
Facebook’s vaccine hunters are helping Americans get vaccinated
COVID-19 shots are here, but making an appointment can be a pain. Vaccine hunters are playing matchmaker on Facebook to get jabs into arms.
US will spend $1 billion studying long COVID
The U.S. is dedicating $1.15 billion to studying long COVID, a condition in which survivors experience long-term effects of COVID-19.
Nurse’s smelling “superpower” leads to skin swab test for Parkinson’s
Researchers developed a skin swab test for Parkinson’s after studying a woman’s strange ability to smell the disease.
Texas firefighters deliver COVID-19 vaccines to seniors
Firefighters in Corpus Christi are delivering COVID-19 vaccines to homebound seniors.
New drugs are taking the fight to lung cancer
KRAS mutation, which causes tumors to form, was long considered “undruggable.” But new drugs could be approved by year’s end.
Doctors can now see the lungs of a newborn breathing
There’s a lot about newborn breathing doctors don’t know, but a new imaging technique that can record a baby’s first breaths is pulling back the curtain.
New test can show if you’ve had COVID-19, even if antibodies fade
The FDA has approved a T cell test for COVID, a first-of-its-kind assay that looks to the immune system’s memory.
Vaccine delivery truck brings COVID-19 shots right to you
Startup AYRO’s all-electric vaccine delivery truck could bring COVID-19 vaccines to people without access to reliable transportation.
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.