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
“DALL-E 2 of biology” designs proteins for new drugs
The Chroma AI’s ability to design proteins with structures no one has ever seen before could revolutionize medicine.
These tiny bubbles are “warheads” for killing cancer
By combining tiny nanobubbles with ultrasound, Israeli researchers showed they can destroy tumors.
Old Parkinson’s drug helps teens with type 1 diabetes
The Parkinson’s disease drug bromocriptine lowered blood pressure and reduced aortic stiffness in young people with type 1 diabetes.
Parents: Don’t focus on happiness, help build resilience instead
Happiness emerges from resilience, which helps children regulate difficult emotions and stressful situations.
Scientists uncover key to future hepatitis C vaccine
While treatments are available for HCV-related infections, they are expensive, hard to access, and do not protect against reinfection.
Startup unveils $179 houseplant engineered to purify your air
Neoplants’ $179 genetically engineered houseplant pulls VOCs from the air 30 times more efficiently than plants found in nature.
Bacteria breakthrough could create brand new cheese flavors
A new set of experiments has shown for the first time how the unique flavors of different cheeses can be linked to specific types of bacteria.
How neuroscience can make us better parents
Kids’ brains develop in four main stages. Each has its own particular set of advancements and challenges for parents.
FDA approves US’s first fecal transplant therapy
The FDA has approved Rebyota, a slurry used during fecal transplant therapy to treat recurrent C. difficile infections.
Magnets pull these tiny medical robots deep into the brain
LA-based startup Bionaut Labs is developing micro-sized medical robots that are guided through the body by magnets.
How flu got milder since 1918 pandemic
The risk of death from influenza has declined over time, but globally, hundreds of thousands of people still die from the disease each year.
Newly discovered gut bacteria may be a culprit behind rheumatoid arthritis
This bacteria is found only in the intestines of people with rheumatoid arthritis, and not in the intestines of healthy people.
Watch a Neuralink robot insert electrodes into a dummy brain
During a livestreamed event, a Neuralink robot precisely inserted 64 electrode-packed threads into a dummy brain in just 15 minutes.
How to fight Covid with light
Some wavelengths of light in a range called far-UVC kill microbes in experiments and appear to be harmless to people.
The (robotic) doctor will see you now
Study finds patients are receptive to interacting with robots designed to evaluate symptoms in a contact-free way.
Exercise boosts the brain — and mental health
New research is revealing how physical activity can reduce and even ward off depression, anxiety and other psychological ailments.
New brain cancer vaccine completes clinical trial
Northwest Biotherapeutics reports that its new brain cancer vaccine can extend glioblastoma patients’ lives by months or even years.
The science of habits
Whether you’re trying to break a bad habit or start a good one, psychologists have some tips to get you started.
Deadly disease treated in the womb for the first time
In a medical first, doctors were able to prevent heart and muscle damage using enzyme replacement therapy.
New chemo pump for brain tumors could avoid side effects
A fully implantable chemo pump could help extend the lives of people with deadly brain tumors while minimizing treatment side effects.
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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