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
Are microplastics really destroying our health?
Scientists still don’t know how microplastics impact human health, but they do have ideas for stopping their spread.
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.
This $400 genetic test could save your life
Nucleus Genomics’ new whole genome sequencing and analysis service promises to reveal the secrets hidden in your DNA.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
AI chatbots may ease the world’s loneliness (if they don’t make it worse)
AI chatbots may have certain advantages when roleplaying as our friends. They may also come with downsides that make our loneliness worse.
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.
Potato chips or heroin? The debate on social media and mental health
Experts disagree on whether social media causes mental health issues in adolescents despite looking at the same data. Here’s why.
Biohacking
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.
New AI generates CRISPR proteins unlike any seen in nature
An AI that generates CRISPR proteins is opening the door to gene editors with capabilities beyond what we’ve found in nature.
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.
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.
One shot recreates younger immune systems, in mice
An antibody treatment designed to revitalize an aging immune system delivers “surprising” results in elderly mice.
A protein found in human sweat may protect against Lyme disease
Human sweat contains a protein that may protect against Lyme disease, according to a study from MIT and the University of Helsinki.
More
To eradicate TB, we need old-fashioned ambition
The Ebola outbreak sparked more medical innovation in two years than TB has in decades, even though TB is killing…
Meet the 380 trillion viruses inside your body
Scientists aren’t exactly sure yet what the “virome” is up to, but it’s probably important.
A new kind of headset “hears” words you don’t say
The project, named AlterEgo, intentionally crosses the line between what’s “out there” and what’s in your head.
The 2018 Nobel Prize could mark a turning point in the war on cancer
More than one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime; new discoveries are helping them…
A new stem cell treatment can heal burns, bedsores, and diabetic ulcers
In addition to healing injuries, the approach could be useful for repairing skin damage, countering the effects of…
How the Phoenix is fighting addiction with fitness
Meet the group that is helping thousands of people transform their lives and unlock their potential.
Can science make people live healthier for longer?
An MIT researcher has turned 30 years of aging research into something you can use right now.
Why a third of antidepressants are prescribed for "off-label" problems
The “secret life of antidepressants” could open up a host of new treatments.
Zika could be a “smart missile” for brain cancer
Zika can devastate fetal brains; scientists want to turn it against brain tumors instead.
Brains store memories in a temporary "cache" (and we can read it)
Like the day’s newspaper, the brain has a temporary way to keep track of events.
FDA approves first mute button for genetic diseases
It is the first of “a wave of advances that have the potential to transform medicine.”
Are "CRISPR kids" the new "test-tube babies"?
Forty years later, IVF shows how fears about new technology can fade.
New evidence suggests viruses may trigger Alzheimer’s
For the first time in a long time, there’s a new direction for potential Alzheimer’s treatments.
High tech archaeology found a new way to screen for vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is an age-old problem, but new techniques from archaeology may be the key to catching it early.
Paralyzed mice walk again after breakthrough treatment
One small step for a mouse, perhaps one giant leap for treating spinal injuries.
Coffin-building club helps seniors face death and enjoy life
These seniors are tackling the stigma around death by decorating their own coffins.
UV robots can sterilize an ICU in 10 minutes
UV light destroys bacterial DNA from the inside out, eradicating the toughest pathogens in minutes.
Will probiotics cure cholera?
MIT scientists say eating good bacteria can prevent, cure, and diagnose cholera—cheaply.
The gut microbiome affects brain structure
What happens in your gut in childhood can change how your brain works later in life.
Using neuroscience to talk to people in a vegetative state
A scientist figures out how to talk to the brain when the body won’t respond.
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.
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