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
How to be happy: Aristotle’s 11 guidelines for a good life
In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle proposed that humans are social, rational animals who seek to “live well.”
Newly discovered antibody neutralizes all variants of the coronavirus
Using modified mouse models originally designed for HIV, researchers have discovered an antibody that stops all known strains of COVID-19.
At long last, we might have an HIV vaccine
Due to HIV-1’s extraordinary diversity, a vaccine needs to induce antibodies that can target many different strains.
Procrastinating is linked to health and career problems – but here’s how you can stop
In the long run, procrastination isn’t an effective way of managing emotions and causes health and work setbacks.
First-of-its-kind trial will attempt to grow mini livers in people
A new treatment that could turn a single donor liver into “mini livers” capable of saving 75 or more lives is heading into human trials.
Woman with rare gene mutations feels no pain, anxiety
A woman in Scotland was found to feel virtually no pain and report zero trace of any anxiety or depression.
Microdosing’s benefits may be powered by belief
A small, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has found evidence that expectations may be behind microdosing’s beneficial effects.
Shoe wearable could help Parkinson’s patients avoid falling
Data-collecting sensors in shoes can predict a Parkinson’s patient’s fall risk almost as accurately as standard walking tests.
Insulin pills could end the need for painful injections
Insulin pills designed to be dissolved in the mouth appear to overcome a major hurdle holding back the development of oral insulin.
This 20-year chart of depression diagnoses shows an incredible shift
People are being diagnosed with depression earlier than in the past because of a decrease in stigma and better diagnostic guidelines.
First-of-its-kind trial shows AI beat humans at analyzing heart scans
Echonet, an AI trained to assess a measure of heart function, has outperformed trained technicians in both accuracy and efficiency.
To make great changes in your life, follow the philosophy of kaizen
Kaizen asks us to make small changes, slowly and over time. It’s a hard skill to master in an age of instant gratification.
Dolphins use signature whistles to represent other dolphins – like names
Bottlenose dolphins are extremely social animals that communicate constantly, and consistently use signature whistles for one another.
FDA authorizes updated COVID-19 boosters
The FDA has authorized Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s updated COVID-19 boosters, which target the now-dominant Omicron subvariants.
CRISPR fully reprograms mammal genome for the first time
CRISPR has been used to rearrange the chromosomes of lab mice, a world’s first in mammals and a breakthrough in bioengineering.
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
Life’s modern distractions, such as news and social media, have overwhelmed our evolutionarily designed attention spans.
Is your mind just a parasite on your physical body?
What if there is nothing special about self-awareness? What if it is just evolutionary dead weight, bound to disappear soon?
Breakthrough in photosynthesis boosts plant growth up to 30%
In a small study, researchers have engineered soy plants to have higher yields thanks to improved photosynthesis.
5 drugs that changed the world (and what went wrong)
Anesthesia, penicillin, antibiotics, diazepam, and the birth control pill have all radically changed our lives.
“Synthetic biomarkers” could catch your cancer in the future
When the body’s own biomarkers aren’t enough, researchers have begun creating their own to help fight cancer.
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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