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
Texas firefighters deliver COVID-19 vaccines to seniors
Firefighters in Corpus Christi are delivering COVID-19 vaccines to homebound seniors.
New drugs are taking the fight to lung cancer
KRAS mutation, which causes tumors to form, was long considered “undruggable.” But new drugs could be approved by year’s end.
Doctors can now see the lungs of a newborn breathing
There’s a lot about newborn breathing doctors don’t know, but a new imaging technique that can record a baby’s first breaths is pulling back the curtain.
New test can show if you’ve had COVID-19, even if antibodies fade
The FDA has approved a T cell test for COVID, a first-of-its-kind assay that looks to the immune system’s memory.
Vaccine delivery truck brings COVID-19 shots right to you
Startup AYRO’s all-electric vaccine delivery truck could bring COVID-19 vaccines to people without access to reliable transportation.
New gene therapy for chronic pain could replace opioids
Researchers have engineered a gene therapy system to dampen pain. They’ve shown it to be effective in mice, for both short-term and long-term pain.
Existing chemo drugs could offer a potential Ebola treatment
Capable of causing highly lethal disease, Ebola treatment is a public health priority. A new study shows chemo drugs may do just that.
Duke scientists find a potential vaccine for UTI
Despite being common, painful, and persistent, there’s currently no vaccine treatment for UTIs. But a new method has shown promise in mice.
NFL hopefuls train with sensor-free athlete tracking tech
Intel’s new athlete tracking platform, 3DAT, can deliver performance insights without the use of potentially cumbersome sensors.
NYU is launching a center for psychedelic medicine
NYU’s Center for Psychedelic Medicine will serve as the nexus for the school’s psychedelic research, as well as provide training to budding researchers.
Great apes get vaccinated against COVID-19
Great apes, our closest living relatives, are susceptible to COVID-19. The San Diego Zoo has given some an experimental vaccine to protect them.
Can RNA create a malaria vaccine?
An effective malaria vaccine could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Can RNA vaccines like the ones fighting SARs-CoV-2 tackle another disease?
The pandemic is forcing sign language to evolve
Sign language users are adapting to the limitations of video conferencing platforms, which have become more popular due to the pandemic.
Surgery robot could make hysterectomies less painful
The FDA has approved its first surgery robot for use during a vaginal hysterectomy, which is less invasive than the abdominal approach.
Researchers have discovered how SARS-CoV-2 is mutating
SARS-CoV-2 mutations, which cause new variants of the virus, are eluding the virus’s proofreader. New research shows why.
“Heart in a box” gives 6 kids second chance at life
For the first time, TransMedics’ “heart in a box” machine has been used to help children in need of heart transplants, with great success.
First-of-its-kind pilot study uses MDMA for alcohol addiction
A small, first-of-its-kind study has piloted the use of MDMA for alcohol addiction therapy.
Smartphones can track your blood sugar levels
The ability to easily monitor blood sugar levels would allow everyone to have more control over their own metabolic health — not just people with diabetes.
Radioactive bone cement may help treat spinal tumors
External radiation can damage bones and cause side effects. Radioactive bone cement directly into the spine may be a better option.
Cone snail venom may help treat malaria
Clumps of infected red blood cells can make malaria dangerous even after its parasite is treated. Cone snail venom may one day help.
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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