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
Stem cell breakthrough could save the northern white rhino
To save the northern white rhino species from extinction, researchers are turning stored rhino tissue samples into sperm and egg cells.
Armadillo experiment suggests that we can regenerate human livers with leprosy
M. leprae-infected armadillos develop enlarged, healthy livers with gene expression patterns similar to human fetal livers.
New “future-proof” drug can fight COVID-19 and the common cold
Researchers have identified a compound capable of stopping multiple coronaviruses in cell and tissue models.
First-of-its-kind therapy sends girl’s incurable cancer into remission
A first-of-its-kind CAR T-cell therapy sent a UK girl’s blood cancer into remission when all other treatments failed.
“Personalized curriculums” could get kids to care about school again
Personalized learning has to potential to prepare learners who are self-regulating and self-motivated for life beyond school.
Moderna’s mRNA cancer vaccine reduces risk of recurrence or death by 44%
Moderna’s new mRNA cancer vaccine reduced melanoma patients’ risk of recurrence or death by 44% compared to a standard treatment alone.
Anxiety treatment in early childhood can lower long-term mental health risks
Some anxiety is normal and, in fact, necessary and helpful. But what happens when it interferes with a child’s daily functioning?
Cheap liver drug can prevent COVID-19
A cheap, readily available drug used to treat liver disease could also prevent COVID-19 infections — regardless of the variant.
A new class of antidepressant works in 2 hours
Most types of antidepressants work by increasing neurotransmitter levels throughout the brain, which take weeks. A new drug takes hours.
New CRISPR tech makes it possible to wipe out invasive mice
Australian researchers have developed a gene drive that renders female mice infertile, opening the door to a new type of pest control.
Breakthrough drug cures sleeping sickness with one dose
A new, one-dose treatment for lethal sleeping sickness was 95% effective at clearing the parasite from patients.
“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.
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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