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 will humans change in the next 10,000 years?
If humans don’t die out in a climate apocalypse or asteroid impact in the next 10,000 years, are we likely to evolve further?
What your weed label really means
Through the largest analysis of commercial cannabis flower yet, Colorado researchers have found that the current labeling system falls short.
This smart mattress will help you fall asleep fast
UT Austin engineers have developed a smart mattress that manipulates a person’s body temperature to help them fall asleep fast.
The 5-hour rule: How to turn a wasted day into a successful one
The 5-hour rule asks us to devote at least one hour a day to learning, experimenting, and reflecting. Here’s how to make it work for you.
Widom of Daoism: why Yin-Yang is so much more than a tattoo
Yin-Yang symbolizes not a conflict or struggle but shows that nothing in life is solely either this or that.
Harvard scientists closer to solving centuries-old heart mystery
Harvard researchers have used a new method to crack the heart’s weird spiral muscle.
MIT engineers 3D-print rubbery brain implants that don’t “stab” the brain
How do you engineer an implant that doesn’t harm an organ as soft as tofu? MIT engineers 3D-printed new soft brain implants.
Nurturing dads raise emotionally intelligent kids
Nurturing dads raise more emotionally intelligent children, helping make society more respectful and equitable.
VR exposure therapy app lets you face phobias on your own terms
Exposure therapy is a reliable technique for overcoming irrational fears, but it currently suffers high patient dropout rates.
The Four Enemies to a happy life and how to defeat them
Buddhist psychologists, Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg, have identified “Four Enemies” that are obstacles to a happy, fulfilled life.
How child mortality fell from 40% to 3.7% in 200 years
The collapse in child mortality rates is a testament to the tremendous benefits of scientific, technological, and economic progress.
Crows are self-aware just like us, says new study
Crows and the rest of the corvid family keep turning out to be smarter and smarter. A corvid’s pallium has more neurons than a great ape’s.
Large study of 20,000 cats and dogs could help pets live longer
Mars Petcare has announced the opening of a massive biobank to study aging and pet diseases.
The sci-fi plan to create artificial gravity on the moon, Mars
To create artificial gravity for off-world explorers, Japan plans to build spinning, cone-shaped facilities on the moon and Mars.
Archaeologists identify contents of ancient Mayan drug containers
Archaeologists used new methods to identify contents of Mayan drug containers, discovering a non-tobacco plant.
Potential cause of unexplained epilepsy cases uncovered
University of Arizona researchers have uncovered a protein that might be behind some epilepsy cases with currently unknown causes.
“Soft CRISPR” is safer and could help cure more diseases
A new CRISPR system was far more effective and precise than CRISPR-Cas9 when tested in fruit flies.
The first FDA-approved clinical trial of psilocin has begun
“This has never been done before,” says Filament’s CEO.
Nasal COVID-19 vaccines prepare for infection right where it starts – in your nose and throat
Intranasal vaccines are best suited to protect against pathogens that enter through the nose, like the flu or the coronavirus.
FDA authorizes new COVID-19 vaccine — and it’s not like the others
The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for biotech company Novavax’s protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.
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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