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
New oral insulin tech replaces needles with nanoparticles
If the success of a new oral insulin delivery system in rats translates to people, it could entice more diabetics to pursue insulin therapy.
Game triggers auditory hallucinations in mice and people
An experimental game that triggers auditory hallucinations in both mice and humans could lead to new treatments for schizophrenia.
A single gene turns on humans' rapid brain growth
Researchers have looked at gene expression in human brain organoids compared to other apes to discover the genetic mechanism crucial to triggering the human brain’s rapid growth.
New approach for mRNA HIV vaccine passes first human trial
There is currently no HIV vaccine, but a new technique which produced specific immunity cells in humans may pave the way to one.
Penn scientists correct genetic blindness with a single injection into the eye
Antisense oligonucleotide therapy uses small molecules to alter RNA. Researchers have now used those molecules to alleviate a genetic form of blindness.
Nobel prize-winning chemist helps invent synthetic mucus
Mucins, the long proteins in mucus, have an array of bacteria-fighting properties. These artificial mucins can act like the real thing.
How scientists finally got gene therapy to work
Gene therapy shows promise for treating diseases and the longstanding mysteries of medical science. But what is gene therapy and how does it work?
Injectable “glue” helps heal traumatic brain injury in rats
By injecting a “brain glue” into rats, researchers were able to speed up their recovery after a traumatic brain injury.
A major Huntington’s trial has failed. Here’s why there is still hope.
A simple genetic test can determine a person’s fate for one of the worst diseases on the planet. But research offers new hope for Huntington’s disease.
Argentina’s songbirds explain a mysterious type of speciation
With the help of a group of songbirds, researchers have uncovered the mystery of an evolutionary process called “sympatric speciation.”
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine 100% effective in adolescent study
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was reportedly 100% effective in a trial involving more than 2,000 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15.
New cancer treatment uses “hot blood cells” to target tumors
A new cancer treatment combining immunotherapy, photothermal therapy, and modified blood cells was highly effective in mice.
The next generation of living machines: xenobots 2.0
Made from the stem cells of a frog, “Xenobots” are tiny living machines. And researchers have just debuted version 2.0.
These color-changing sutures can catch infections
Iowa high school senior Dasia Taylor has invented color-changing sutures that can catch an infection early.
Deep brain stimulation: explained
Deep brain stimulation is being studied as a treatment for any number of neurological and psychological conditions. But what is it, exactly?
Wireless brain-computer interface moves out of the lab
A new wireless brain-computer interface was able to record and transmit brain signals as effectively as the “gold standard” wired systems.
Extreme E is bringing electric SUV racing to the ends of the Earth
With climate change and gender equity at its core, Extreme E is bringing electric SUV racing to the wild.
Therapeutic bed could help prevent brain damage in babies
Calmer is a therapeutic bed for incubators that simulates a caregiver’s breathing and heartbeat to relieve stress in newborns.
An IBM quantum computer is being built at a US hospital
An IBM quantum computer is being installed at the Cleveland Clinic as part of the organizations’ Discovery Accelerator collaboration.
Series|
Catalysts
Research grants, the silicon valley way
What if there was a way to fast-forward innovation? An economist and tech billionaire recently joined forces to make research grants available within 14 days.
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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