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
Would we still see ourselves as “human” if other hominin species hadn’t gone extinct?
It’s all well and good to discuss how our humanity evolved – but what even is humanity?
Microbots in your blood could help destroy cancer
Shape-shifting, magnetic microbots could become assassins for cancer — destroying tumors without the usual collateral damage on the rest of the body.
Dead bodies keep moving for more than a year after death, study finds
Australian scientists found that bodies kept moving for 17 months after being pronounced dead.
Frontline healthcare workers are going to receive psilocybin therapy
University of Washington researchers are enrolling healthcare workers now in a psilocybin-assisted therapy study.
Needle-free COVID-19 vaccine is in human trials
A needle-free COVID-19 vaccine now in human trials could protect us against both this disease and future coronavirus outbreaks.
Edison and Dali’s “creative nap” trick seems to actually work
Briefly entering the hypnagogic state appears to boost creative thinking, just like Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí said it would.
Blood and stool samples from 1980s link HIV to gut microbiome
A person’s chances of getting HIV appears to be influenced by the gut microbiome, suggesting it might help us prevent the disease.
Why do “young blood” transfusions help aging mice?
Young blood transfusions may combat signs of aging in older mice by increasing the production of a specific protein: Klotho.
UK man receives world’s first 3D-printed prosthetic eye
U.K. researchers have developed a 3D-printed prosthetic eye that’s more realistic and easier to produce than traditional ones.
Google rolls out new tools to help your doctor search
Google has debuted new ways to make your doctor search easier, allowing you to know what insurance they take and languages they speak.
This app offers alternatives to 911 in all 50 states
There are instances when 911 may not be the best number to call. Subdial, a free app, offers local and national alternatives to 911.
This chewing gum traps the coronavirus
A new chewing gum may help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by neutralizing the virus before it can leave an infected person’s mouth.
Falling traffic lights can kill. One tweak could save lives.
An impact-absorbing traffic light pole could save the lives of drivers and pedestrians, while also cutting repair and replacement costs.
A chemical in grape seeds extends lives of mice by 9%
A chemical in grape seeds extended the lives of old mice, made young ones healthier, and helped chemo drugs shrink tumors in a new study.
Experimental bionic eye is ready for human trials
An experimental bionic eye designed to help restore vision in people with retinal degeneration is ready for human trials.
How herpes hides
Herpesvirus hides in nerve cells, making it impossible to kill. Now, Northwestern researchers believe they have found the novel key to this nasty trick.
First person cured of type 1 diabetes thanks to stem cells
An experimental stem cell treatment has eliminated type 1 diabetes in a patient, giving experts guarded hope for a diabetes cure.
A simple webcam can automatically catch — and treat — infant jaundice
Researchers in Australia and Iraq have developed a system that uses a webcam to catch infant jaundice and begin treatment right away.
Is Omicron the COVID variant we have been waiting for?
There is no rule that will force Omicron or another COVID variant to become less deadly over time, but there is reason for hope.
How music can rewire the brain after an injury
MedRhythms, an experimental digital therapy combines sensors and music to help people with Parkinson’s disease walk.
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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