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
Medical drones to transport blood being rushed to Ukraine
Medical drones are being rushed to Ukraine to help residents get the medical supplies they need in the midst of the war with Russia.
Wounds of kids with “butterfly disease” healed by DNA gel
A topical gene therapy helped heal the wounds of people with “butterfly disease,” a painful disorder that makes the skin incredibly fragile.
Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy
MIT spinout Frequency Therapeutics’ drug candidate stimulates the growth of hair cells in the inner ear.
Cancer is addicted to iron. It could be a fatal weakness.
By homing in on the high levels of iron in certain cancer cells, researchers have created a more targeted anticancer drug.
AI maps psychedelic “trip” experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatments
To better understand how these effects manifest in the brain, we analyzed over 6,000 written testimonials of hallucinogenic experiences.
How tattoo machines could revolutionize vaccination
A tattoo machine may be a better delivery method for DNA vaccines than the standard syringe and hypodermic needle.
Male birth control pill to enter human trials in 2022
Clinical trials of a male birth control pill that was 99% effective at preventing pregnancy in mice are expected to launch in 2022.
A physician didn’t shower for 5 years. Here’s what he found out.
Hygiene rituals are as old as recorded civilization, but capitalism has spurred us to use increasingly elaborate and expensive regimens.
Your pet dog could help people live longer, healthier lives
The Dog Aging Project is studying tens of thousands of dogs in the hope of helping pets and people live longer, healthier lives.
Internet-connected “smart” traps help cities combat rats
Internet-connected rat traps are bringing rodent control into the 21st century, helping cities leverage data in the battle against rats.
Vaccine used to treat COVID-19 for first time
A man whose persistent coronavirus infection kept him isolated for 7 months finally tested negative after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
This “family tree of all of humanity” shows how all of us are linked
Researchers have mapped the genetic ties between every person who ever lived, in the “first draft” of our shared family history.
Brain implant lets man with locked-in syndrome share thoughts
A man with total locked-in syndrome has used a brain-computer interface to spell out sentences with his mind.
Paris plans to be completely cyclable by 2026
France is investing a total of 250 million euros ($290 million) to make the city of Paris entirely bikeable.
Mammals dream about the world they are entering even before birth
A study finds that baby mammals dream about the world they are about to experience to prepare their senses.
Elephant tusk DNA is used to expose poaching networks
Researchers using cell phone records, shipment logs, and elephant DNA have solved poaching mysteries and identified trafficking networks across the continent.
Space lettuce engineered to stimulate bone growth
To protect Mars astronauts from bone loss, scientists genetically engineered a lettuce that produces a bone-stimulating hormone.
Video games for mental health are coming
New startup DeepWell Digital Therapeutics is developing video games to help treat mental health disorders.
Michio Kaku makes 3 predictions about the future
Dr. Michio Kaku on what is likely and what is possible provides a stimulating vision of the future.
New children’s malaria treatment clears out infection in liver
Malaria can hide in the liver, causing relapse months or years later. Now, public health officials have a new treatment to prevent relapse for children under 16.
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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