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
Gene therapy restores youthful eye cells — and vision — to older mice
A team of researchers have achieved sight restoration in older mice and those modeling glaucoma, in what could be an important step in understanding aging.
A gene drive could wipe out mosquitoes. But what if we want to turn it off?
Gene drives could wipe out malaria. It’s risky, but scientists say it’s getting safer.
CBD does not impair driving, study finds
A new study has demonstrated that CBD is safe for driving, while the effects of THC last only a few hours. This work could inform cannabis use laws.
New pancreatic cancer treatment penetrates tough tumors
For a new pancreatic cancer treatment, researchers attached a chemotherapy drug to an antibody that targets a molecule on the outside of cancer cells.
Your moral compass could be broken
If we can better understand the evolution of our moral compass, psychologists believe we can begin working toward a society built on empathy over judgement.
DeepMind AI cracks the code of protein structures
A protein’s structure is crucial to its function. Predicting how a protein will fold was a challenge decades in the making — and answered by DeepMind.
CRISPR used to edit HIV cure into monkey embryos
A mutation of the CCR5 gene can cure HIV — and thanks to CRISPR, scientists may soon be able to study it in animal models.
The quest for a “warm” COVID-19 vaccine
Developers are on the hunt for a warm COVID-19 vaccine, one that could be distributed in places where a reliable cold chain isn’t available.
This databank of mammalian genomes is the Noah’s Ark of DNA
The Zoonomia Project is the largest database of mammalian genomes to date, and it’s already helping researchers study SARS-CoV-2 and extinction risk.
Congo just used vaccines to beat Ebola. What they learned could stop COVID, too.
Congo’s recent success delivering frigid Ebola vaccines to remote areas may provide invaluable experience for a COVID-19 vaccine cold chain.
Cancer immunotherapy “baits” the immune system into attacking hidden lung tumors
When cancer spreads, it often ends up in the lungs. ImmunoBait can ride a red blood cell in mice to deliver cancer immunotherapy where they live.
We can now see a virus invasion in real-time
Understanding how a virus infects and replicates in a cell is crucial to stopping them. Now, researchers can see an infection in real-time.
The hep C cure may also fight COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 uses a number of key proteins to infect us, including its main protease. New research has found hepatitis C drugs can bind this protein.
Stopping nightmare disorder with a prescription-only watch
A prescription-only watch that treats nightmare disorder is the latest in a growing subset of health technologies called prescription digital therapeutics.
CRISPR could help save coral reefs from bleaching
Using CRISPR, scientists have identified a gene that could determine whether coral reefs are highly susceptible to bleaching or not.
When will we have a COVID-19 vaccine?
Several developers have reported incredible coronavirus vaccine progress, so when will we have a COVID-19 vaccine ready for distribution?
Reverse engineering a $15k medical device for 50x less
Many hospitals in developing countries can’t access the overpriced, high-tech equipment that’s standard in the U.S. Reverse innovation could finally change that.
Oxford says its COVID-19 vaccine is up to 90% effective
The University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine was up to 90% effective in a phase 3 trial and could be easier to distribute than other coronavirus vaccines.
How long will coronavirus immunity last?
Coronavirus immunity might last for years, according to a new study that measured the levels of virus-fighting immune cells in COVID-19 survivors.
New skin cancer vaccine is twice as powerful
By adding two “boosters” to an in-development skin cancer vaccine, scientists may have improved its ability to prevent melanoma recurrence.
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.