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
First-of-their-kind eye drops reverse blindness in teen
A topical gene therapy designed to heal the wounds of people with “butterfly skin disease” has now been used to reverse blindness.
New clinical trial is testing a ketamine skin cream for PTSD
A topical ketamine treatment designed to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD without causing hallucinations has entered clinical trials.
4 ways to promote neurogenesis in your brain
Research from the 1960s proves creating new neurons as adults is possible, and modern-day research explains how to promote it.
New RSV shot protects babies against dangerous lung infections
The FDA has approved nirsevimab, an RSV shot that protects babies against the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the US.
ADHD drugs could alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Scientists reviewed 40 years of clinical studies that assessed the effects of NA-targeting drugs, such as certain ADHD drugs, on Alzheimer’s.
Neuroscience research triggers revision of a leading theory of consciousness
A brain scanning study on unconsciously processed visual information disrupts a leading theory of consciousness: global workspace theory.
Radioactive drugs are transforming cancer treatment
Radiopharmaceuticals allow doctors to directly target patients’ cancer cells and avoid healthy tissue typically damaged by radiation therapy.
Got COVID but felt fine? It may be your genes.
A person’s chances of having asymptomatic COVID are dramatically increased if they possess a certain genetic mutation.
Startup aims to transplant pig hearts into kids in 2024
eGenesis hopes to transplant pig hearts from genetically engineered swine into young children with serious heart defects by 2024.
Fiber is your body’s natural guide to weight management
Fiber is important not just for happy bowel movements, but also for your blood sugar, weight, and overall health.
Exercise may or may not help you lose weight and keep it off
There isn’t a debate on the overall health benefits of regular exercise, but scientists don’t agree on whether it actually keeps weight off.
Aging is complicated – a biologist explains why no two people or cells age the same way
While some people may be older in chronological age, their biological age might be much younger. A biologist explains why.
Natural killer cells now have a better shot at destroying cancer
A 3D-printing-based approach could make immunotherapies based on natural killer (NK) cells better equipped to destroy cancer.
Neuroscience shows that speed reading is bullshit
Speed reading programs claim to teach students how to read more quickly without reducing comprehension. Research shows that they don’t work.
Not all repellents are equal – here’s how to avoid mosquito bites this summer
Researchers studied different types of mosquito repellents and their efficacy for over a decade. Here’s what they found.
A functional cure for brittle diabetes is now available in the US
Islet transplantation, a procedure shown to functionally cure some people with hard-to-control brittle diabetes, has been approved in the US.
New AI predicts who is most at risk of pancreatic cancer
An AI that identifies patients most at risk of pancreatic cancer could lead to earlier diagnosis of the deadly disease.
Viktor Frankl: The doctor who prescribed the meaning of life to his patients
Not having a meaningful life can be dreadful, and one psychologist thought it was the root of many neuroses. His ideas became Logotherapy.
Drug to grow new teeth heads to human trials
A drug that causes animals to grow new teeth could one day allow us to regenerate teeth lost to injury, disease, or old age.
If you have a complex project, follow “Gall’s law” — or it will fail
Success can be based on the fundamental observation that working complex systems arise from working simple systems.
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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