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 test catches deadly bloodstream infections much faster
Bloodstream infections have a high mortality rate. But a new test to catch them faster could lead to more saved lives.
A cure for blindness may be first product made in space
An ISS experiment suggests that manufacturing artificial retinas in space will make them more effective at reversing blindness.
A newly discovered class of RNA can fight off multiple viruses, including flu and SARS-CoV-2
Harvard-affiliated researchers have discovered a form of double-stranded RNA which may be a potent antiviral.
Tiny robots completely clear out deadly pneumonia infection in mice
Researchers have created microscopic robots capable of clearing pneumonia from the lungs of mice.
A modified herpes virus completely wiped out a terminal cancer
In a small phase 1 trial of a herpes-based cancer therapy, one patient had their tumors completely eliminated.
Biden pardons federal cannabis possession cases, urges states to do the same
The Biden administration is pardoning federal possession offenses, encouraging states to do the same, and reexamining its drug scheduling.
Three reasons “you” won’t return after this life
Entire religions are constructed around theories of an afterlife, but former monk Stephen Batchelor lists three reasons you won’t come back.
Scientists claim “never before” seen results in ALS clinical trial
The ability of tofersen, a gene-based treatment for ALS, to improve symptoms is being hailed as a “treatment milestone.”
If you want people to like you, try talking more, not less
People tend to think they should speak less than half the time to be likable but more than half the time to be interesting.
Study finds a striking difference between neurons of humans and other mammals
Researchers identified a “building plan” that holds true for every species they looked at — except for humans.
New Alzheimer’s drug slows mental decline by 27% in clinical trial
Eisai and Biogen are reporting that their new Alzheimer’s antibody slowed cognitive decline by 27% in a global trial.
Shape-shifting DNA is helping researchers decode the human brain
Researcher Nako Nakatsuka has turned to DNA to tackle an important challenge: how do we measure chemicals in the brain?
What’s causing the alarming rise in cancer for adults under 50?
A new review finds that 14 different cancers, including eight related to the digestive system, are increasing in people under age 50.
Brain-zapping tech improves memory by more than 50%
A brain-zapping “memory prosthesis” funded by DARPA improved trial participants’ ability to retain new information by more than 50%.
I’ve had COVID and am constantly getting colds. Did COVID harm my immune system?
Does COVID somehow weaken the immune system to make us more prone to other infectious diseases? Here’s what scientists know.
Scientists discover animal that doesn’t need oxygen to live
The parasite infects salmon and lives within the fish muscle, though scientists aren’t quite sure how it breaks down nutrients for survival.
Creatine, a popular exercise supplement, might help treat depression
Creatine shows promise as a treatment for depression, boosting the effects of SSRIs and potentially working as a standalone medication.
Axolotls can regenerate their brains
Axolotls are a model organism researchers use to study a variety of topics in biology because of their regenerative abilities.
World’s first cloned arctic wolf is now 100 days old
After two years of effort, China’s Sinogene Biotechnology has created the world’s first cloned arctic wolf.
New treatment “starves” aggressive brain tumors in mice
A treatment that “starved” aggressive glioblastoma tumors in the brains of mice suggests a way to finally fight the deadly cancer in humans.
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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