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 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.
New study discovers how to reverse hearing loss
A new study of hair cell regeneration in mice could help researchers figure out how to reverse hearing loss in people.
This $1 pill cuts binge drinking
Naltrexone, a medication that costs less than $1 per dose, helped people cut back on their binge drinking in a small study
Herpes virus helped kill a deadly form of breast cancer in a clinical trial
A combination of an engineered herpes virus and chemo showed promise for treating triple-negative breast cancer in a small study.
A single dose of an old drug could save 2 million mothers from sepsis every year
A large international study has found that a single oral dose of a common antibiotic can “significantly” reduce the risk of maternal sepsis
How diet influences the conflict between cell “cooperators” and “cheaters”
Cancer-protective microbes support cooperative behaviour by bodily cells, but cancer-inducing microbes undermine it.
Startup plants first GMO trees designed for carbon removal
Living Carbon is ready to begin planting thousands of GMO trees engineered to pull 27% more carbon from the air.
Will “The Singularity” rescue us from death?
In transhumanism, “The Singularity” promises possibility of uploading your consciousness into silicon, guaranteeing a kind of immortality.
Strange life forms create an “alien” ecosystem in an abandoned uranium mine
Scientists have found diverse life forms dwelling in an abandoned, flooded uranium mine in Germany, creating an “alien” ecosystem.
Yoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice
Researchers have begun to study yoga’s effects and are finding that it has great benefits for both mental and physical health.
Experiment regenerates a damaged kidney for the first time ever
A new treatment that caused the diseased kidneys of mice to regenerate might one day do the same for people.
DMT therapy appears effective for depression in phase 2 clinical trial
London-based Small Pharma has released positive top-line results for their phase 2a trial of DMT as an antidepressant.
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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