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
The coronavirus hospital staffed by robots
A robot-run coronavirus hospital in Wuhan, China, is just one remarkable example of how technology is helping combat the global COVID-19 outbreak.
What is protecting kids against the coronavirus?
Something is protecting kids against the coronavirus, and researchers want to figure out what it is so they can use it to develop a treatment.
World’s fastest supercomputer finds 77 drug candidates that could help battle COVID-19
The Summit supercomputer made quick work of complicated simulations to identify 77 compounds that could be promising COVID-19 treatments.
More than $1 million in prizes for coronavirus solutions
Emergent Ventures is awarding more than $1 million in coronavirus prizes to people who make significant progress in combating COVID-19.
Developing a better mind-controlled prosthetic hand
This new technique allows a person to control their prosthetic hand precisely and in real-time by amplifying the nerve signals from their residual limb.
Blood plasma from coronavirus survivors could save lives
A drug company is using the blood plasma of coronavirus survivors to develop a treatment for those still battling the disease.
Gates Foundation funds at-home coronavirus testing project
The Gates Foundation is funding an at-home coronavirus testing project in Seattle, with the goal of testing thousands of people for COVID-19 daily.
Reminiscence therapy is helping seniors at “dementia villages”
At a growing number of “dementia villages,” staff members use reminiscence therapy to help seniors return to a time when they felt happy and safe.
AI can detect coronavirus infections far faster than humans
New artificial intelligence systems can detect coronavirus infections far faster than human doctors and could help end the COVID-19 outbreak.
Should we turn chickens into dinosaurs?
These scientists are studying chickens to learn more about dinosaur DNA, and their findings could help us better understand our own genetic code.
US’s first drive-thru coronavirus clinic opens in Seattle
A Seattle hospital system has opened a drive-thru coronavirus clinic, a place where people can be tested for COVID-19 without leaving their cars.
This adjustable heart valve would grow as a child ages
A new, prototype artificial heart valve can adjust to a child’s growing body, potentially sparing them from multiple open-heart surgeries before adulthood.
Safe injection sites are legal, US court rules
A U.S. judge has ruled that safe injection sites, places where users can consume drugs under medical supervision, don’t violate federal drug laws.
Algorithm clears thousands of marijuana convictions in just one minute
With this new system that identifies candidates for criminal record clearance and even auto-fills forms, offenders don’t even need to apply.
“Electronic nose” can detect a cancer precursor on patients’ breath
A new study found that an electronic nose could be an improved screening tool for Barrett’s esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer.
Building an artificially intelligent, open-source prosthetic leg
We’ve come a long way since the first prosthetic leg, and “smart” limbs, equipped with computing capabilities and…
Why aren’t the World Bank’s pandemic bonds helping fight COVID-19?
The World Bank sold pandemic bonds to address global health emergencies, but it has yet to release any of the money to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
Data scientists are making it easier to track COVID-19
Teams of computer scientists across the globe are working tirelessly to help track COVID-19 through the use of computer modeling and data dissemination.
Can an algorithm predict the next disease outbreak?
Researchers are using this algorithm to predict which regions are likely to see a zoonotic disease outbreak, and hopefully prevent the next global pandemic.
AI helps scientists discover powerful new antibiotic
Using a computer model powered by artificial intelligence, researchers at MIT have identified several promising candidates for powerful new antibiotics.
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.