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
Research: inflammation and mortality may be caused by low “psychological well-being”
Researchers looked at the link between life purpose and mortality and found that people who felt they had no purpose in life tended to die earlier.
Your brain “wakes up” more than 100 times each night. That’s normal — and maybe good
Research suggests that brief, repeated “wake-ups” during sleep are completely normal, and may actually bode well for one’s memory.
Cyborg computer combining AI and human brain cells really works
A new biohybrid computer combining a “brain organoid” and a traditional AI was able to perform speech recognition.
Partnering up can help you grow as an individual – here’s why
The science makes it abundantly clear that couples with more self-expansion are better relationships. Here’s why.
Bioengineered protein could enhance memory
Memory-related conditions are notoriously hard to treat, but there may be a way to boost recall in the brain.
Red meat causes heart disease. Except when it doesn’t?
The problem is not scientific consensus on red meat, but how specialists analyze risk when proffering public guidelines.
Why is the value of money for happiness increasing?
While the old adage says that money can’t buy happiness, studies have determined that the more your income increases, the happier you are.
Does caffeine harm your decision-making?
A small study showed caffeine lessens decision-making. While preliminary, it raises questions about caffeine affects our “higher” cognitive functions.
Moderna’s mRNA cancer vaccine works even better than thought
Adding Moderna’s mRNA cancer vaccine to a standard melanoma treatment dramatically reduces the risk of death or recurrence.
The 5 most exciting clinical trial results of 2023
In 2023, several potentially game-changing meds, including ones to treat pain and high cholesterol, showed huge promise in human trials.
Chemobrain is real. Here’s what to expect after cancer treatment.
Chemobrain, or chemofog, can significantly affect cancer survivors’ quality of life with its social, psychological, and economic impacts.
Deep neural networks show promise as models of human hearing
In the largest study yet of deep neural networks trained to perform auditory tasks, researchers found surprising similarities to human hearing.
Professor Giles Yeo on making sense of anti-obesity drugs
Anti-obesity drugs have been in the news, and for good reason; they seem to work. Giles Yeo talks us through some misconceptions at play.
How music therapy benefits the autistic brain
While the benefits of music therapy are well known, more in-depth research explores how music benefits children with autism.
Mice could someday become venomous, suggests study on the evolution of oral venom systems
Although scientists have a good understanding of the composition of snake venom, little is understood about the origins of venom systems.
New AI predicts cancer survival using epigenetics
Researchers from the UCLA train an AI to use epigenetics to predict clinical outcomes for cancer patients.
Stunning video reveals how our fingers form in the womb
A first-of-its-kind map of human limb development could help prevent a common type of birth defect in the future.
Walmart now has mammograms, analyzed with AI
Shoppers can now get mammograms at a Walmart in Delaware — and more of the walk-in clinics are set to open in 2024.
Untangling the genetics that underlie our facial features
Hundreds, if not thousands, of genes affect the shape of the face, in subtle ways. Researchers explain why, and how, we look like our family.
Startup can now screen IVF embryos for 1000+ diseases
Startup Orchid now offers whole genome sequencing for embryos used during IVF — but not everyone is convinced it’s worth the cost.
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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