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
The next era of psychedelics may be precision-designed states of consciousness
A look inside Mindstate Design Labs’ effort to design drugs that reliably produce specific states of consciousness.
What is The Great Progression: 2025 to 2050?
We have a historic opportunity to harness AI and other transformative technologies in order to make a much better world in the next 25 years.
Progress happens because solutions create new problems to solve
Solutionism means fully accepting what’s in front of us and enthusiastically stepping up to meet the challenge.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
How to reclaim meaning in a changing world
What if the barrier to a fulfilled life isn’t technology, it’s culture?
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.
Biohacking
We’re able to create new creatures through gene editing. What’s stopping us?
The question isn’t whether we can sculpt new life. The question is what comes next.
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.
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.
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.
One shot recreates younger immune systems, in mice
An antibody treatment designed to revitalize an aging immune system delivers “surprising” results in elderly mice.
More
Personalized mRNA vaccine preps the body to battle deadly cancer
A new pancreatic cancer vaccine based on mRNA tech was shown to be safe and capable of triggering an immune response in a small trial.
Amish gene study finds clues to mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder
Researchers have turned to this unique genetic population to find insights into how our genes play a role in mental health.
CRISPR sausage gets FDA green light for consumption
The FDA has given Washington State University researchers the green light to feed five gene-edited pigs to people.
Potential way to treat anorexia found in microbiome
New research links the gut microbiome, an ecosystem of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, to the development of anorexia nervosa.
New gene therapy could reverse a common cause of blindness
A new study suggests we may be able to convert dormant eye cells into photoreceptors to reverse retinal degeneration.
Rapamycin: The unlucky history of the most powerful anti-aging drug
When rapamycin research was revived, it was found to have both anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. Here’s what researchers say today.
Ultrasound could help us fight the deadliest cancer
In a small study, Northwestern researchers were able to get chemo drugs into the brains of glioblastoma patients with implanted ultrasound devices.
LSD flashbacks and a psychedelic disorder that can last forever
LSD flashbacks have been studied for decades, though scientists still aren’t quite sure why some people experience them.
AI helps terminal cancer patients make the most of their final days
An AI that encourages doctors to talk to cancer patients about their end-of-life care impacts how they choose to live out their final days.
AI dramatically improved mRNA vaccines in just 11 minutes
A new AI tool can find the most stable mRNA sequence for a vaccine, leading to more effective shots that are less prone to degradation.
New drug candidates found in an unlikely place
Costa Rica’s famed sloths harbor bacteria in their fur which can create antibiotic compounds — a potential source of future therapies.
Study: Parenthood seems to rewire gray matter
A study found that couples who co-parent together display similar brain activity, suggesting they become greatly attuned to each other.
World’s first vaccine for RSV approved in the US
The FDA has approved the world’s first vaccine for RSV, a potentially deadly viral infection that has long eluded vaccination.
The first fecal transplant pill is heading to pharmacies
The FDA approval of the first fecal transplant pill could kick off an era in which we target the gut microbiome to treat many other diseases.
More Americans than ever have no friends. Here are 5 steps to make more friends.
The last decade has seen a steep drop in adult friendships and a worrying increase in loneliness. Is this the cost of our modern life?
Ancient viruses in the human genome can help fight cancer
Armed with a DoD grant, researchers are harnessing the genetic code of ancient viral infections to fight prostate cancer.
Complex brain activity detected in dying patients
Researchers have measured gamma waves, a sign of brain activity, in patients who were dying.
New Alzheimer’s drug slows cognitive decline by 35%
Eli Lilly’s new Alzheimer’s drug, donanemab, slowed cognitive decline by 35% in a phase 3 trial, but two people died from side effects.
Networks of silver nanowires seem to learn and remember, much like our brains
Self-organising networks of tiny silver wires appear to learn and remember in much the same way as the thinking hardware in our heads.
Earbud-like tech will monitor sleep for signs of Parkinson’s
An EEG device that’s worn in the ear during sleep could help doctors diagnose Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s long before symptoms appear.
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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