Features

The strange saga of a dying researcher desperate to cure herpes.

Geoffrey West’s monumental book “Scale” channels math and physics to explore the limits of our biology, our companies, and our civilization.

Dogfish sharks produce a remarkable antibacterial compound that might halt symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

A genetic hackathon becomes a treasure hunt.

Elite athletes have a greater variety of bacteria in their guts than couch potatoes do, raising the prospect of “poop doping.”

Hit with a rare disease, Onno Faber formed a startup to hack it — and he’s taking on conventional medicine in the process.

Researchers are finding new links between specific genes and intelligence. Can we use this knowledge to make people smarter?

Back by popular demand: more great reading recommendations from people shaping the future of our species.

Trying to stay young isn’t just futile: it’s also bad for you. Here’s how to think about aging in the era of ultra longevity.

… where we ask the experts for reading recommendations.

Cory Doctorow’s novel “Walkaway” envisions a future in which the jobless masses co-opt automation technologies to ensure their freedom.

Gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna’s new book reveals her dreams and nightmares about what she has unleashed.

They’re avoiding many of the substances that got earlier generations high. But are they better off?

They’ve been ahead of the curve on personal health tracking and citizen science. What will their doctors and the rest of us learn from their data addiction?

An industrial designer takes data visualization to a sculptural dimension.