Health

The future of fertility, from artificial wombs to AI-assisted IVF

A look back at the history of infertility treatments and ahead to the tech that could change everything we thought we knew about reproduction.

Kristin Houser

Overlay of hands and abstract patterns in purple and blue tones, symbolizing hope for Parkinson's cure.

Drugs

The exciting research that may cure Parkinson’s

GeneCode is developing a drug it hopes won’t just alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms but also protect and restore patient’s neural health.

Kevin Dickinson

A child sitting on a couch in a dimly lit room, holding and looking intently at a tablet, as if testing the Goldilocks hypothesis for the perfect screen brightness.

Mental Health

Beyond screen time: Rethinking kids’ tech use with the “Goldilocks hypothesis”

The “Goldilocks hypothesis” asks parents to think beyond screen time and consider the habits that teens build around technology use.

Kevin Dickinson

Coronavirus

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?

Kristin Houser

Inventions

Reverse engineering a $15k medical device for 50x less

6:17

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.

Doug Dais

Coronavirus

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.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

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.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

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.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

New vanishing wound dressing heals skin with minimal scarring

A new kind of hydrogel dressing improves wound healing and minimizes scarring by kicking the adaptive immune system into gear.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

FDA authorizes first at-home COVID-19 test

The FDA has authorized an at-home COVID-19 test that delivers results in 30 minutes, but you can’t get it without a prescription.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

Bacteria’s self-destruct mechanism may unlock next-level genome editing

A mystery for 30 years, retrons are showing potential as genome-editing tools. Now, we know what they actually do.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Trial suggests Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective

Another win for mRNA vaccines: Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19, according to initial trial data.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

New “universal” diagnostic test can ID any infection

UC San Francisco scientists have developed a new diagnostic test that uses DNA sequencing to quickly identify any pathogens in any type of patient sample.

Kristin Houser

Sections

Series & Columns

Freethink

We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.