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
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.
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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.
This insect swiped a gene from plants to help itself survive
A plant gene has been discovered in whiteflies, marking the first known example of horizontal gene transfer of a functional gene between plants and insects.
Scientists have created a heart valve implant that grows
Children may have heart valve replacement surgery 5 or more times. A lab-grown, growing valve may change that in the future.
AI uses sound waves to read the minds of monkeys
Functional ultrasound tech can be used to map the brain activity of monkeys, suggesting it might be useful for future brain-machine interfaces.
A common virus may be the key to a COVID vaccine for young children
Researchers have reverse-engineered a common children’s virus to show the spike protein, potentially leading to a new COVID vaccine for young children.
“Zombie” cells grow in the brain after death
After death, gene expression increases in the brain’s glial cells — and those “zombie” cells could affect how we study neurological disorders.
Stunning “agar art” grows pictures with bacteria and fungi
Agar art lets scientists tap into their creative sides by growing microbes into beautiful bioart scenes in petri dishes.
Researchers have built a mini-lab for mini-brains
Researchers have created a “tiny machine” to better study brain organoids, clumps of stem cells that simulate the brain.
It's now possible to diagnose concussions with saliva
Saliva was used to diagnose concussions with 94% accuracy, suggesting that an objective concussion test may finally be within reach.
CRISPR fixes rare mutation for the first time in a live animal
For the first time in a live animal, researchers have successfully reversed a gene mutation, called a “duplication mutation,” by gene editing.
IBM’s artificial intelligence may help us defeat superbugs
A new AI tool detected 20 viable drug candidates in less than two months
DoorDash is now offering COVID-19 test delivery
DoorDash is now offering COVID-19 test delivery in 12 cities, bringing at-home COVID-19 test kits to people the same day they’re ordered.
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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