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 exosuit helps stroke survivors walk farther and faster
A new exosuit helps stroke survivors overcome hemiparesis by assisting them in making two key walking motions with their feet.
New HIV vaccine gives monkeys longer-lasting protection
Scientists have created an HIV vaccine that triggers two types of immune response, providing monkeys with longer-lasting protection from infection.
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Dope Science
Are social media giants censoring life saving drug research?
The first casualty of war is truth, and that applies to the war on drugs. Some are fighting back with harm reduction and drug education, yet they’re facing opposition from an unexpected source.
Stem cell research breakthrough opens path to growing human organs in animals
New stem cell research has revealed a way to coax human cells to grow to maturity in mouse models, a major advance in the field.
A nonthermal plasma field can eliminate 99.9% of airborne viruses
Airborne viruses can be tough to stop. A team at Michigan has developed a device that may stop them cold.
Blood enzyme could explain severe impact of coronavirus in men
A new study suggests that higher concentrations of the ACE2 blood enzyme could explain the particularly deadly impact of the coronavirus in men.
Why is an antigen test a big deal for COVID-19?
The FDA has issued its first emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 antigen test, a new type of test for diagnosing the coronavirus.
A nasal spray for coronavirus prevention is in development
Scientists are developing a nasal spray for coronavirus prevention that uses a protein found in red algae to stop the virus from taking hold.
Doctors test solution for COVID-19 phenomena, silent hypoxia
Doctors treating COVID-19 patients are testing the ability of common blood thinners to address silent hypoxia, one of the disease’s most alarming phenomena.
AI beats neurologists at making Alzheimer's diagnosis
Scientists have created an AI capable of making an Alzheimer’s diagnosis that’s more accurate than the one delivered by a group of neurologists.
Hunting zoonotic diseases before an outbreak
Stopping zoonotic diseases — and pandemics — may require studying not just viruses, but also animals, habitats, and people.
New evidence of memory consolidation while we sleep
Thanks to brain implants, scientists have the first direct evidence of “offline replay” in humans, a process thought to be key to memory consolidation.
The truth about coronavirus mutations and more COVID-19 updates
In our weekly news roundup, we take you inside the fight against COVID-19 to explore the solutions on the frontlines of an unprecedented global response.
Ultraviolet cleaning robots kill coronavirus at US airport
Pittsburgh International Airport is using cleaning robots modified with ultraviolet light fixtures in an effort to kill the coronavirus.
The DIY heroes of the pandemic
Volunteers delivering meals to hospital workers, the 100-year-old man fundraising millions, and more inspiring stories in our weekly Progress Report.
Microbe in mosquito guts completely blocks malaria parasite
Scientists have discovered a microbe in the guts of mosquitoes that appears to prevent the most common malaria parasite from infecting the insects.
Bioengineered blood soaks up toxins inside the body
Tiny sponges that look and act like red blood cells remove toxins from the body.
Computer scientists build new tool to fight coronavirus
Computer scientists are using AI and text mining to sort through thousands of coronavirus research papers that could help fight the disease.
Cheap CRISPR-based coronavirus test delivers fast results
Scientists have unveiled STOPCovid, a CRISPR-based coronavirus test that avoids many of the shortcomings of existing diagnostic tests.
Scientists use CRISPR to reverse diabetes in mice
Scientists have used CRISPR to correct a diabetes-causing mutation in stem cells and then use those cells to reverse diabetes in mice.
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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