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
The left–right twist that could rewrite tech
Scientists are harnessing chirality — the left- and right-handedness of molecules — to build better batteries, sharper displays, and more.
Longevity progress is real. So are the scams.
Longevity is in a paradoxical place at the moment, with anti-aging influencers misrepresenting real progress in order to make money.
How a dog’s life could extend yours
Studying animals — from long-lived clams to everyday dogs — is helping scientists understand aging and design therapies to slow decline.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
Living longer — and healthier — starts with boosting your brain
Science is beginning to unravel the reasons behind age-related cognitive decline — and what we can do about it.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
More
Black-footed ferret is first cloned US endangered species
A black-footed ferret clone could inject a much-needed dose of genetic diversity into her species, which is on the brink of extinction.
Study: Strong immunity without Pfizer vaccine’s second dose
The Pfizer vaccine’s second dose might not be as necessary as thought — and ultra-cold storage of the COVID-19 vaccine might not be necessary at all.
Tracking heart health at home
Can new technology help society eliminate cardiac episodes completely?
Electric flying car races get the green flag
Airspeeder is bringing electric flying car racing to the skies in 2021.
Fecal transplants help shrink cancer patients’ tumors
Fecal transplants made advanced melanoma patients who initially didn’t respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors responsive to the cancer treatment.
Biologist infects himself with parasites in pursuit of hookworm vaccine
A marine biologist intentionally infected himself with parasitic hookworms and documented it in Tweets and pictures that will make your skin crawl.
These mutant zebrafish are growing arm bones
While studying mutant zebrafish, scientists discovered that a single genetic mutation caused the fish to start developing the beginnings of arms.
Brain mapping: Explained
The brain is a difficult place to work. How can brain mapping help open the black box between your ears?
Oral ketamine treatment reduced suicidal thoughts: Pilot study
A new, small study in Australia suggests that oral ketamine treatment may help treat suicidal thoughts.
Trees and insects helped create Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine
Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine was nearly 90% effective in a U.K. trial — and the ingredients for the promising subunit vaccine came from insects and trees.
Smart stem cells made from fat have the power to heal
Researchers have reprogrammed human fat cells into adaptive smart stem cells that can lie dormant and heal various tissues.
Fauci predicts universal COVID-19 vaccine availability by April
Anthony Fauci expects April will be “open season” for COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s why his prediction about COVID-19 vaccine availability appears accurate.
Google trends reveal a boredom pandemic. How can we help?
Google trends showed that online searches for subjects linked to boredom and loneliness jumped dramatically, according to a study.
Ask the crowd: When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Volunteers are creating online tools powered by crowdsourced data to help people answer the question: where and when can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Can CRISPR engineer immunity to avian flu in chickens?
An outbreak of avian flu in chickens can mean millions of birds dead and billions of dollars lost. This startup wants to engineer flu-resistant poultry.
Man's double hand & face transplant may be first to succeed
Five months post-surgery, a double hand and face transplant recipient shows no signs of transplant rejection, suggesting the procedure was a success.
AI brings Vince Lombardi back to life for Super Bowl ad
Using face-swapping AI, the NFL has created a Super Bowl ad in which iconic coach Vince Lombardi delivers a message of unity 50 years after his death.
Are we scratching the surface of what an old vaccination method can do?
Smallpox vaccine was administered by scratching the skin. Mice suggest this old-school method may work better against other respiratory viruses as well.
This company wants to use CRISPR to fix your celiac disease
Sufferers of celiac end up with some pretty lack-luster pastries. A startup thinks CRISPR can help.
Friendly little mice are helping us understand the effects of LSD
Researchers at McGill have discovered the mechanisms behind the sociable effects of LSD in mice.
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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.