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
Moderna’s new vaccine targets COVID-19, the flu, and RSV
Moderna is developing a combination vaccine to protect against COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus.
New bionic arm is incredibly close to the real thing
A new bionic arm is so intuitive, wearers think and behave like people without amputations while using it to perform everyday tasks.
Molecular farming could be the future of vaccines
Edible plant-based vaccines could revolutionize how we fight diseases.
Study: COVID-19 booster shots dramatically reduce infection risk
A large COVID-19 booster shot study in Israel found that a third dose significantly increased seniors’ protection against the coronavirus.
Forensic scientists continue mission to identify 9/11 victims
Forensic scientists have identified two more 9/11 victims and will soon use next-generation sequencing to analyze unidentified remains.
UK researchers are growing the Delta variant for human challenge trials
Responding to the variant’s rise, UK researchers are growing the Delta variant for trials.
A blood test for your circadian clock
Your circadian clock controls more than when you sleep and wake. Researchers are developing a simple blood test to try and accurately tell your time.
Cambridge researchers have created a mathematical model for building muscle
Now there’s a mathematical model that could maximize the effectiveness of exercise.
One antibody stops all strains of COVID-19 from infecting cells
A newly discovered antibody can neutralize all strains of COVID-19 and every other sarbecovirus known to infect humans.
World-class surfers help kids with disabilities ride the waves
Ten children with disabilities got a chance to go surfing through an adaptive sports program at NYC’s Hospital for Special Surgery.
Drone ambulances race to help cardiac arrest victims (Updated)
Drone ambulances deliver defibrillators to suspected cardiac arrest victims more quickly than traditional ambulances in a Swedish study.
Mini brains grown in the lab sprout primitive “eyes”
Researchers have grown mini brains with light-sensitive eye structures that could lead to breakthrough treatments for vision disorders.
Antibody cocktail highly effective at preventing COVID-19
An antibody cocktail developed by biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca was highly effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.
Brain-wide gene editing may one day treat Alzheimer’s
Researchers have developed a brain-wide gene editing technique that treated Alzheimer’s disease in mice.
Tiny magnetic beads and turkeys may lead to better prosthetic limbs
MIT and Brown researchers have developed a technique using implanted magnetic beads that they hope will lead to better control of prosthetic limbs.
Researchers have 3D-printed an active tumor
Tel Aviv University researchers have 3D-printed an active glioblastoma tumor, potentially paving a way to better study the lethal brain cancer.
MIT has created an inflatable prosthetic hand
MIT researchers have created a soft, inflatable prosthetic hand that provides advanced abilities at a fraction of the cost and weight.
The bold plan to bring back the American chestnut
Researchers plant a small experimental orchard of hundreds of transgenic American chestnut trees near the coast of Maine, to restore the species.
India’s DNA vaccine for COVID-19 gets emergency approval
India has granted emergency approval to the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID-19.
Who to watch for at the Tokyo Paralympics
Here are five athletes to watch at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and one Afghan competitor whose future at the Games is still uncertain.
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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