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
What the science really says about vitamin D deficiency
When is low vitamin D a potential concern? And when might you need to get your levels tested? Here’s what the evidence says.
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.
MIT study shows AI conversations are more positive if users think AI is empathetic, negative if they think it’s nefarious
Study shows users can be primed to believe certain things about an AI chatbot’s motives, which influences their interactions with it.
Stanford plans to put a 3D-printed human heart in a pig by 2028
Using 3D bioprinting, scientists are trying to construct perfect replacements for damaged organs, bones, and tissues.
Ever wonder how your body turns food into fuel? We tracked atoms to find out
New research offers new way to understand our metabolism in unprecedented detail, identifying four distinct phases of the process.
Monkey lives with CRISPR’d pig kidney for over two years
A monkey that survived for 758 days with a kidney from a gene-edited pig is a major step forward for xenotransplantation research.
CRISPR protects 9 out of 10 chickens from bird flu
UK scientists have used CRISPR to create gene-edited chickens that are highly resistant to the avian flu virus.
What does the evidence say about omega-3 fats for heart disease, dementia, and arthritis?
Are fish oil supplements as good for preventing heart disease, dementia, and other health conditions as we think? Or is eating fish better?
New superbug vaccine turns the immune system into “the Hulk”
A superbug vaccine that temporarily puts the immune system on high alert could reduce the number of hospital-associated infections.
After studying 850 hours of footage, this paper offers 3 rules for a great conversation
Good conversations leave a lasting impression. They are rewarding and enriching. Here’s how to have more of them.
Where are the universal coronavirus vaccines?
Universal coronavirus vaccines that protect against all known variants of COVID-19 — and ones that don’t exist yet — are closer than ever.
Study finds exactly how long people want to live: it isn’t forever
Most people prefer a shorter life if they have dementia, chronic pain, or are a burden to their families.
New “Lattice” device tests drugs on eight organs at once
Northwestern University scientists have developed a device that simulates up to eight organs at once to aid drug development.
New CRISPR system is 66% smaller but just as powerful
A new CRISPR system is just as efficient as CRISPR-Cas9 but much smaller, which could make it easier to deploy in people.
These earbuds analyze brain activity and sweat content
A flexible sensor turns a pair of earbuds into a health monitoring device capable of recording brain activity and analyzing sweat.
Jellyfish surprise scientists by learning without a brain
Researchers demonstrate that Caribbean box jellyfish don’t just float around aimlessly. They learn and adapt to their environment.
Is iron the Achilles’ heel for cancer?
Some cancer cells store high quantities of iron. Iron-activated cancer drugs selectively disrupt cancer cells, without harming healthy cells.
Adding spider DNA to silkworms creates silk stronger than Kevlar
Spider silk is strong and tough, but hard to farm. Silkworm silk is easy to farm, but not that strong. What if we could combine the two?
Octopus tentacle-like patch delivers drugs through your cheek
A needle-free drug delivery system inspired by octopus tentacles could one day replace injections for administering biopharmaceuticals.
ChatGPT forces us to ask: how much of “being human” belongs to us?
Large language models have been trained on massive amounts of “natural” human language — just like us. Does this make the robots part human?
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.
Subscribe to the newsletter