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
How to safely celebrate Halloween during COVID-19
People celebrated Halloween during the 1918 flu pandemic and you can still celebrate Halloween during COVID-19 — just maybe not the way you usually do.
Can flu vaccines prevent COVID-19?
Researchers suspect that flu shots could prevent coronavirus infections, giving people yet another reason to get vaccinated.
These gene-edited pigs could help end organ shortages
These gene-edited pigs have organs designed to be more compatible with the human body, bringing xenotransplantation one step closer to reality.
Are fecal transplants the fountain of youth?
Scientists hope that fecal transplants from younger to older people could be used to treat age-related cognitive decline.
Researchers have never seen the deep sea like this before
Researchers are putting lowlight 4k cameras on remotely operated vehicles to capture videos of deep sea bioluminescence.
A pandemic surveillance system for the planet
COVID-19 won’t be the last virus to threaten the global population, but new disease surveillance tech could catch the next outbreak before it even starts.
UK to launch first human challenge trial for COVID-19
The U.K. is funding a $44 million human challenge trial for COVID-19 during which healthy volunteers will be deliberately exposed to the coronavirus.
A microevolution is happening in humans right now
More humans are being born with a third arm artery, an example of microevolution happening right before our eyes.
A deadly virus emerged in South Africa in 2008. Then it vanished.
A deadly new virus killed a South African safari agent and three others, then disappeared without a trace. What can we learn from a unique outbreak?
Jaw joints grown from fat could alleviate TMJ pain
Researchers have grown new jaw joints for pigs from fat-sourced stem cells, and the technique could one day cure TMJ pain, or even knee pain, in people.
Smart vibrator helps scientists study female orgasms
The Lioness Sex Research Platform is helping scientists study female orgasms by providing anonymized data collected by a smart vibrator.
Dopamine and serotonin may do more than we thought
Dopamine and serotonin are crucial brain chemicals. A new study that measured them simultaneously in active brains suggests they may do more than we think.
Robot cook could help restaurants recover from COVID-19
Miso Robotics is making Flippy ROAR available for $30,000 in the hopes the robot cook will help the restaurant industry recover from the pandemic.
New data visualization tool lets scientists “walk” inside cells
A new data visualization tool called vLUME recreates tiny objects like cells and neurons in a virtual world, allowing scientists to then explore them in VR.
Patients report sudden hearing loss from COVID-19
Patients are experiencing sudden hearing loss from COVID-19, but if caught early enough, doctors can prevent the problem from becoming permanent.
The coronavirus can survive on surfaces for 28 days
The coronavirus can survive on surfaces, including money, for up to 28 days. But does that change what you need to do to avoid catching COVID-19?
Ghost kitchens are saving restaurants during the pandemic
Ghost kitchens are thriving during the pandemic, as more restaurants rely on online delivery orders for their income.
Post-COVID-19 clinics offer hope to coronavirus survivors
Post-COVID-19 clinics are helping coronavirus survivors cope with lingering symptoms while helping researchers better understand the disease.
Babies of the future could be made from skin cells
A potential fertility treatment involves taking skin cells and reverse engineering them into eggs and sperm.
Comparing COVID-19 vaccines just got way easier
A newly formed network of labs will make it easier to compare COVID-19 vaccines by testing them all in exactly the same way, using the exact same supplies.
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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