Field: Biohacking
Man feels hot and cold again with prosthetic hand breakthrough
Researchers have built a device that helps users feel temperature through a prosthetic arm. A new study shows it works with high accuracy.
Bioengineers design a new plant to purify air faster than nature
Neoplants has bioengineered a pothos plant that removes 30 times more pollutants from the air than a regular houseplant.
Grinding scientists: Mechanochemistry could revolutionize the creation of new materials
Like a kitchen mortar and pestle, mechanochemistry harnesses ball milling to create chemical compounds, simpler, and faster than traditional methods.
“Iron Man” material made from DNA and glass is 4x stronger than steel
Using only DNA and glass, researchers made a material four times stronger and five times lighter than steel. It was inspired by Iron Man.
Ex-NASA engineer Mark Rober created the world’s smallest Nerf gun — from DNA
Mark Rober and Pallav Kosuri created a Nerf gun so tiny they had to build it out of DNA. This DNA "origami" has the potential to revolutionize engineering.
Why this startup is creating edible oil from sawdust
ÄIO's main goal is to replace palm oil with oil upcycled from low-value industry organics in order to prevent further deforestation.
The first 10 minutes of sleep can unlock your creative potential
According to prior research, the first ten minutes of sleep, called N1, can provide a creative boost when it comes to solving problems.
5 biotech trends to watch in 2023
After a monumental year of breakthroughs, scientists, investors, and CEOs share which areas of biotech they are eagerly watching this year.
Engineered bacteria may one day prevent kidney stones
In a small proof-of-concept study, an engineered E. coli was able to reduce levels of a kidney stone-causing chemical.
Harvard and Kraft Heinz are trying to make sugar healthier
Instead of replacing sugar, Wyss scientists had an idea: what if they change sugar to make it healthier?
Armadillo experiment suggests that we can regenerate human livers with leprosy
M. leprae-infected armadillos develop enlarged, healthy livers with gene expression patterns similar to human fetal livers.
Genetically engineered bacteria make living materials for self-repairing walls and cleaning up pollution
With just an incubator and some broth, researchers can grow reusable filters made of bacteria to clean up pollution and more.
Axolotls can regenerate their brains
Axolotls are a model organism researchers use to study a variety of topics in biology because of their regenerative abilities.
Transhumanism: Savior of humanity or false prophecy?
While many of the technologies upon which transhumanists base their dream are real and world-changing, they have major limitations.
How natural “short sleepers” thrive on 4 hours of sleep per night
Natural "short sleepers" thrive on only four to six hours of sleep per night. Could their genetics explain why?
This smart mattress will help you fall asleep fast
UT Austin engineers have developed a smart mattress that manipulates a person’s body temperature to help them fall asleep fast.
Wearable tech: eating and playing our way to a longer lifespan
Wearable devices can detect the specific molecules in food and our body’s response to it, allowing us to make better dietary decisions.
A new treatment may cure neuropathic pain
A gene therapy tested in animals may be a safe, permanent, and non-addictive treatment for neuropathic pain in humans.
Neuralink rival will soon test brain implant in US clinical trials
It's the first time the FDA has approved clinical trials for a brain-computer interface.
Psychedelics, brain implants, and the future of chronic pain relief
The future of chronic pain relief could include psychedelics, gene therapies, brain implants, and other cutting-edge alternatives to opioids.
Blasting mushrooms with UV light boosts vitamin D by 4,600%
Roughly half the world population, including in America, has insufficient levels of vitamin D. UV irradiated mushrooms can help.
Anti-aging isn’t a scam, but immortality almost certainly is
A new biotech firm with $3 billion in funding has announced plans to combat aging. But what does that mean for human life span, exactly?
Baby thrives after first-of-its-kind heart transplant
A baby’s first-of-its-kind heart transplant could help future patients avoid organ rejection and reduce the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
Bionic eye implants enable a blind person to see again
Doctors successfully implanted a microchip in a woman's retina, restoring some vision to her blind eye.
Edison and Dali’s “creative nap” trick seems to actually work
Briefly entering the hypnagogic state appears to boost creative thinking, just like Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí said it would.
Experimental bionic eye is ready for human trials
An experimental bionic eye designed to help restore vision in people with retinal degeneration is ready for human trials.
Wearable health monitors help predict flu before symptoms start
A human challenge trial suggests that wearable health monitors could help predict flu and cold infections before symptoms appear.
This implanted microchip may one day control your sleep
An implantable, wireless device could be better than popping a pill.
What it’s like to do a human challenge trial
Human challenge trials are risky, but they could help us avoid another prolonged pandemic.
Smartphones can track your blood sugar levels
The ability to easily monitor blood sugar levels would allow everyone to have more control over their own metabolic health — not just people with diabetes.
Gifts for the biohacker in your life
This year has put health front of mind for many of us. Biohackers are all about knowing themselves, and with this gift guide, you’ll look like you know them.
Elon Musk: Neuralink brain implant detects pigs' movements
During a livestream, CEO Elon Musk presented the latest Neuralink brain implant, as well as what he claimed were several pig recipients of the device.
How to radically biohack your mind
Brain-computer interfaces could enable humans to "merge with AI."
Fecal transplant cures man whose gut made him drunk
A fecal transplant cured a man of auto-brewery syndrome, a rare condition in which the gut converts carbs into alcohol, making a person feel drunk.
Hack your dreams to improve your waking life
These scientists want to hack your dreams to improve your creativity and memory.
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Biohackers
DIY biohacking: Do(n’t) try this at home
Dr. Josiah Zayner believes scientists are dragging their feet on realizing CRISPR’s potential, so his do-it-yourself CRISPR kit allows people to experiment with gene editing at home.
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Biohackers
The cyborg artist who hears color
Neil Harbisson was born colorblind. Now he has an antenna implant in his skill to hear color and create beautiful works of art.
Biohacker’s prosthetic arm lets him play a synthesizer with his mind
Biohacker Bertolt Meyer has built the SynLimb, a controller that attaches to his prosthetic arm, allowing him to control his modular synthesizer with his mind.
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Biohackers
I got a chip implanted in a biohacking garage
Hacker surgeons like Jeffrey Tibbetts implant everything from compasses to wireless routers. Freethink’s own Chase Pipkin decided to try it out.
A lay person's guide to biohacking
We're living in a golden age of people exploring high and low tech methods to optimize our bodies.