A new kind of headset “hears” words you don’t say
The project, named AlterEgo, intentionally crosses the line between what's "out there" and what's in your head.
The 2018 Nobel Prize could mark a turning point in the war on cancer
More than one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime; new discoveries are helping them...
A new stem cell treatment can heal burns, bedsores, and diabetic ulcers
In addition to healing injuries, the approach could be useful for repairing skin damage, countering the effects of...
How to Start a Coffin Club
How the founders of the "coffin clubs" got started – and their advice for others.
Can DIY science (finally) cut the cost of insulin?
A century after its discovery, insulin is still incredibly expensive, but DIY bio-manufacturing could change that...
Why a third of antidepressants are prescribed for "off-label" problems
The "secret life of antidepressants" could open up a host of new treatments.
Zika could be a “smart missile” for brain cancer
Zika can devastate fetal brains; scientists want to turn it against brain tumors instead.
Brains store memories in a temporary "cache" (and we can read it)
Like the day’s newspaper, the brain has a temporary way to keep track of events.
How a video game helped the Cajun Navy save lives
When lives are on the line, inspiration can come from the most unlikely places.
GMO mosquitoes could be our best new weapon against disease
It sounds like science fiction, but it could save millions of lives.
FDA approves first mute button for genetic diseases
It is the first of "a wave of advances that have the potential to transform medicine."
Are "CRISPR kids" the new "test-tube babies"?
Forty years later, IVF shows how fears about new technology can fade.
New evidence suggests viruses may trigger Alzheimer’s
For the first time in a long time, there's a new direction for potential Alzheimer's treatments.
High tech archaeology found a new way to screen for vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is an age-old problem, but new techniques from archaeology may be the key to catching it early.
What happens if scientists lose faith in their own research?
Half of scientists have failed to replicate their own work — but they rarely come forward. A new project wants to...
AI could replace chemical testing on animals
Scientists have developed software that could save one billion dollars (and two million animals) each year.
Paralyzed mice walk again after breakthrough treatment
One small step for a mouse, perhaps one giant leap for treating spinal injuries.
“Cybersecurity for plants” can stop germs from hacking our food supply
Computer hackers exploit flaws in code to access systems and take what they want; plant diseases work the same way.
Quieter, faster, stronger: The next jet age is coming
Air travel takes longer today than it did 40 years ago. That's about to change.
UV robots can sterilize an ICU in 10 minutes
UV light destroys bacterial DNA from the inside out, eradicating the toughest pathogens in minutes.
Will probiotics cure cholera?
MIT scientists say eating good bacteria can prevent, cure, and diagnose cholera—cheaply.
The gut microbiome affects brain structure
What happens in your gut in childhood can change how your brain works later in life.
Insulin pills could change everything for diabetics
A pill instead of a needle would be the "holy grail" for diabetes treatment.
FDA approves the first marijuana-based drug
The drug has been proven effective at reducing seizures from certain types of childhood epilepsy.
CRISPR edits out autistic traits in mice
The technique could also open up treatments for Huntington's, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
A new brain surgery robot can work inside an MRI
Metal robots and electric motors don't normally play well with giant magnets.
How coffee could treat diabetes
Someday, diabetics could use caffeine to trigger insulin production, thanks to specially designed kidney cells.
New tech makes fresh produce last twice as long
The plant-based preservative could radically change the game on food waste.
Precision medicine cured an “untreatable” stage IV breast cancer
Two years ago, she had two months to live.
Does CRISPR cause cancer?
Two studies find that CRISPR'd cells tend to become cancerous. Here's what that means for biotech medicine.
The cost of sucking carbon out of the air just fell by 85%
It's not there yet, but carbon capture just got interesting.
Study shows schizophrenia begins in the womb, unraveling a genetic mystery
Half of genes linked to schizophrenia are primarily involved in the placenta, not the brain.
Mental training can heal traumatic brain injuries (and reduce depression)
Millions of people are dealing with traumatic head injuries; brain scans show that cognitive training could...
Why don’t vaccines work as well in poor countries?
Our best tool for preventing disease is the least effective in the places where it's most needed.
Tesla fixed its Model 3 brakes with software – and showed us the future of cars
Consumer Reports failed the Model 3's braking system. A week later, Tesla beamed a fix to the entire fleet.
Genetic tests miss “invisible” mutations that cause disease and neurological disorders
There's more to your DNA than just letters, and mutations can lurk in that genetic "dark matter."
Emergency braking was disabled during self-driving Uber fatality: Feds
Uber turned off the emergency braking function in its self-driving cars because of "erratic vehicle behavior."
Spraying bacteria onto the skin can treat eczema
The bacteria in your microbiome ward off infections and help keep your skin healthy.
Your DNA is not the same in every cell
Your body began with a single cell and a single genetic code. But it didn't stay that way for long.
Could freezing your body offer a chance at immortality?
In a lab in Arizona, dozens of bodies sit preserved at 320 degrees below zero. They each paid $200,000 to be frozen...
Robots are mass producing mini-organs
Robots can make hundreds of tiny copies of your organs, allowing doctors to test many different treatments at the...
Scientists physically "transplant" a memory in snails
The experiment breaks the conventional wisdom about what memories are made of.
The cause (and possible cure) for most infertility
Fertility medicine may be on the edge of a breakthrough.
Two billion people have TB. What should we do about it?
In the fight against TB, sometimes it's better to just get along.
CRISPR can diagnose Zika (and Ebola) with just a strip of paper
We could be on our way to a fast, reliable, portable test for almost any virus or cancerous mutation.
We found the oldest human virus: It's familiar (but weird)
The discovery cracks open a 7,000-year history of human-virus warfare. And it's raising weird questions.
Bionic prosthetic grants amputee musician a rocking encore
How might your life change if you lost an arm? After losing his right arm in an electrical accident, Jason wasn’t...
Neuroscientists want to beam experiences directly into your brain
It's a breakthrough for the blind and paralyzed, not the first step toward the Matrix. (Promise.)
Scientists want to rewrite the entire human genome, from scratch
What if we could rewrite our entire genetic code to make us invincible against viruses?
Organic solar is (finally) efficient enough to compete
Reliable power straight from the sun looks more achievable than ever.
Glowing cancer cells could find hidden tumors (and replace mammograms)
A new pill can make cancer cells glow under infrared light, and it could eliminate for mammograms.
Unlike smoking, vaping won't mess with your microbiome
Smoking kills off good bacteria and upsets the balance of power your gut.
Babies sometimes trigger preterm labor to escape infections
A new discovery upends what we thought we knew about premature births and could point the way to entirely new...
Scientists finally get a look at enzyme that protects DNA
We finally have a detailed picture of an enzyme that could play a key role in fighting both aging and cancer
The ebola vaccine is still working 2 years later
The vaccine works great at preventing infection—let’s hope it can also prevent media panic too.
These bacteria-eating sewer viruses are saving lives
The world discovered phages before antibiotics, but these lowly sewer viruses are getting renewed attention in the...
Linking genes to depression could revolutionize treatment
Saying something is “genetic” used to be a fatalistic diagnosis. But with modern medicine, it could be the key to...
The eternal sunshine of the stressed out mind
Researchers at Cambridge University have finally figured out how the brain stops stressful thoughts and memories...
Researchers want to create a traffic cop for the sky
A new kind of radar could direct drone traffic safely around city skies.
FDA approves AI “doctor” that can see disease in your eyes
How will artificial intelligence transform medicine?
23andMe can (finally) tell you about your genetic cancer risk
23andMe has won the right to tell you what your genes say about you. It's a landmark legal achievement that could...
A prosthetic memory can help you remember
Scientists have figured out how to hack the brain's memory.
Tesla and Uber fatalities show the limits of “semi-autonomous” cars
How can we make humans pay attention when a machine is doing our job for us?
Self-driving Uber fatality: Video shows tech failure & human error
The only way to make self-driving cars safer is to take the risk of more testing.
How virtual reality is changing medicine
From virtual hearts to immersive battlefields, doctors and scientists are using virtual reality to transform medicine
Could this revolutionary football helmet protect players and save the game?
As more and more former football players exhibit symptoms of CTE, one company thinks their new helmet can address...
Why does officer Tommy Norman have a million Instagram followers?
Officer Tommy Norman's work has drawn national attention recently, but his approach to policing is nothing new.
Can a single conversation really change someone's mind? This research says yes.
After studying a team of canvassers, two researchers found that a single conversation can have a significant and...
Maybe we can all get along: 5 reasons to be hopeful
While the press tends to emphasize bad news, there are less covered stories of people from different backgrounds...
Americans are divided. These people are doing something about it.
Amidst our most intense religious, political, and cultural conflicts, there are people around the country who are...
How skate punks are ushering in a new era of freedom in myanmar
For decades, Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by a repressive military junta. Then, in 2011, things began to...
Nico Sell on recruiting hackers for good
Why we should teach kids how to hack and encourage them to use their new-found talents for good.
5 fascinating ways humans are adapting to cities
There’s a global transformation happening - millions of people are migrating to cities from the countryside.
The untold story of Rio’s largest favela
Meet the proud, hopeful, ambitious people determined to build the life they’ve dreamed of.
3 times our brightest minds made bad predictions
Some of the predictions might look outlandish now, but at the time they actually seemed quite plausible.
Can this robot stop violence at traffic stops?
A Duke robotics PhD student and his partner think they have a way ease tensions while deep-rooted differences are...
Meet the artist and activist who wants you to erase your DNA
Heather Dewey-Hagborg wants to make sure people understand the hidden secrets in the DNA they leave behind...
From multi-millionaire Bitcoin entrepreneur to inmate and back again
The story of how Charlie Shrem built his business as a Bitcoin pioneer, lost it all, and is now clawing his way back.
The app that sniffs out censorship
Created by the Tor Project, the app gives internet users a new way to monitor and report online censorship around...
This week in ideas: Saying goodbye to lab rats and replacing bees with drones
Breakthrough could mean the end of test animals, violent crime nearly cut in half, and drones that pollinate flowers.
Nico Sell thinks hackers can be a force for good
After criminals hijacked the term, Sell is on a mission to change our perception of hackers.
This week in ideas: Building a cheaper MRI, reconciling God and AI, and the next Einstein
Rethinking the MRI machine, how will Christianity handle advanced tech, and is this 7-year-old the next Einstein?
Meet the digital bodyguard for investigative journalists
Smári McCarthy discusses his job protecting the work of journalists investigating organized crime and corruption
It’s time for regular Americans to think differently about cybersecurity
If huge companies and government agencies can't manage the cyber threats, how can ordinary Americans?
The hackers exposing government-wide crime and corruption
Displaying the power of unique technological abilities combined with dogged investigative journalism
This week in ideas: Embryonic people-pigs, the glories of the Hubble Telescope, and American cyber-security
A step toward human organs in animal embryos, the Hubble Telescope was a game changer, and Americans aren't doing...
The evolution of a dissident: How Ladar Levison became someone who said "no" to the FBI
For Ladar Levison, founder of secure email service Lavabit, everything changed when the two FBI agents showed up at...
What we mean when we talk about hacking
We've all heard it before: "I was hacked!" But that can mean a lot of things. We take a look at some of the big ones.
Meet the programmer who defied the FBI
Ladar Levison spent 10 years building his business, then destroyed it all in one night when the FBI came knocking.
This week in ideas: How to form good habits, the case against empathy, and a miracle cure derailed
From how to make good habits (and keep them) to a crisis at the NIH, it's a new edition of our week in ideas.
Watch: Trailer for our new show, Coded
Meet the programmers on the frontlines of the war over security and privacy.
Let's talk about failure
Are we fetishizing failure? What are the costs of failing? How do we bounce back after it inevitably happens?
What can we learn from an entrepreneur whose business failed?
Luke Kenworthy put everything he had into making his business work. But it didn't pan out. Now he's sharing what he...
Failure is inevitable, but it doesn't have to ruin your life
Why learning to suck at something is the only way to get good at it.
This week in ideas: Good things that happened in 2016
Despite 2016 being widely panned, there were also truly good things that happened over the past year. Here are some...
Four crazy uses for virtual reality (that aren’t video games)
We’re now starting to scratch the surface of the true potential of virtual reality.
Five insights: Linc Gasking on what every startup should be shooting for
Linc Gasking, co-founder of VR startup 8i, discusses the day-to-day grind and big picture excitement of being an...
Meet the startup creating incredible virtual realities
8i takes video and converts it into virtual realities that are nearly indistinguishable from real life.