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
New kind of pill cut “bad” cholesterol up to 60% in clinical trial
In a phase 2 trial, a daily oral medication reduced LDL cholesterol levels by up to 60%.
Exercise is even more effective than counselling or medication for depression
A recent study showed exercise is an effective way to treat mental health issues – and can be more effective than medication or counselling.
Scientists treated heart attacks in mice — before they happened
By toggling an important heart gene, scientists have treated mice for a heart attack preemptively.
Space travel will radically change human psychology and spirituality
We are living in a period of living and traveling in space. If we continue on this trajectory, we will develop new spiritual views.
New transplant technique cures type 1 diabetes in monkeys
Massachusetts General researchers have developed a new form of transplantation that cured type 1 diabetes in monkeys.
Tirzepatide: A novel obesity drug ushers in a new era of weight loss — because this one works (Updated)
Patients who received tirzepatide in a recent clinical study lost more than 20% of their body weight (52 pounds, or 23.6 kg).
New 3D bioprinter could repair organs inside the human body
A snake-like soft robot designed to 3D bioprint tissues inside patients’ bodies might one day replace invasive implantation surgeries.
Cyborg fish grow electrodes in their brains and fins
A gel that turns into an electrode once inside the body might end the need for invasive implantation surgeries.
Lasers can help prevent surgical site infections in hospitals
Canadian company Ondine is using laser frequencies to help prevent surgical site infections.
Breakthrough study discovers that psychedelics breach our neurons
Researchers have discovered that psychedelics can activate 5-HT2A receptors inside of cortical neurons, a possible cause of their therapeutic effects.
Oral bacteria trigger rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups
Periodontal (gum) disease is more common in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, implicating the former in causing the latter.
First at-home test can tell you if it’s COVID or flu
The FDA has granted authorization to an at-home test that can tell COVID from flu, the first of its kind.
Psychedelics are helping dying patients overcome their existential distress
End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.
New MS treatment targets the gut microbiome
We may be able to prevent chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis patients by manipulating their gut microbiomes.
Small wonders: The antibodies from camels and sharks that could change medicine
A handful of animals make a pared-down version of our own antibodies. Scientists hope to harness them as treatments for human illnesses.
Inhaling this powder shields lungs from infection
An inhalable powder that acts as an “invisible mask” for the lungs could potentially help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
New light therapy could make cancer treatment better and safer
A new light-activated cancer treatment developed in the UK could make existing therapies better and safer.
A new look at the strange case of the first gene-edited babies
Did He Jiankui “Make People Better”? A new documentary leans toward a different narrative about gene-editing than we’ve heard before.
First: Spinal cord stimulation helps stroke survivors control arms again
Spinal cord stimulation has been shown to improve upper-limb mobility in stroke survivors for the first time.
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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