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Biotechnology

Essays and videos exploring physics, evolution, cosmology and other frontiers in science

Astronomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Complexity Computing and artificial intelligence Cosmology Deep time Earth science and climate Ecology and environmental sciences Engineering Evolution Genetics History of science Human evolution Human reproduction Illness and disease Mathematics Medicine Oceans and water Palaeontology Physics Quantum theory Space exploration

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A person with a prosthetic leg stands in a room filled with plastic-wrapped prosthetics and limbs, showcasing orthopaedic supplies.

videoTechnology and the self

A filmmaker finds a tactile beauty in the creation of her prosthetic leg

11 minutes

Split image showing two types of coral, a hard coral on the left and a soft coral with tentacles on the right, both in deep blue light.

videoBiotechnology

It’s our responsibility to engineer corals that can weather the world we’ve created

11 minutes

Two women in professional attire, one with short blonde hair sitting on the left, the other with dark curly hair and a scarf on the right, both indoors.

videoBiotechnology

The two women behind a world-changing scientific discovery

14 minutes

A close-up of a robotic prosthetic leg displayed on a wooden surface, with chrome and black components, reflecting light from surroundings.

videoBiotechnology

What it’s like to wear a prosthetic that ‘feels’

6 minutes

Two people facing each other, one holding a tablet with a speech bubble showing hearts, a wheelchair, and a cinema screen.

videoTechnology and the self

Adaptive technologies have helped Stephen Hawking, and many more, find their voice

5 minutes

Close-up photo of a blue eye with detailed iris patterns, visible blood vessels and reflections on the cornea.

videoBiotechnology

The uncanny art inspired by evolution and generated by ‘crossbreeding’ images

5 minutes

Black-and-white photo of two people sitting back to back with a dog between them, in an outdoor park setting with a fence in the background.

essayLanguage and linguistics

The space between our heads

Brain-to-brain interfaces promise to bypass language. But do we really want access to one another’s unmediated thoughts?

Mark Dingemanse

Double image of a woman playing the flute on stage, wearing a headband, with a colourful dotted background and a microphone nearby.

videoMusic

Can biofeedback help to unlock the mysteries of music’s therapeutic effects?

6 minutes

German Shepherd dog sniffing a metal container in a laboratory facility.

videoBiotechnology

How harnessing the power of dogs could help scientists sniff out cancer early

7 minutes

Painting of a group of elegantly dressed individuals, including children and cherubs, in a lush outdoor setting with trees and hills.

ideaGenetics

Like the emperor’s new clothes, DNA kits are a tailored illusion

George Estreich

Two white goats standing in a grassy field under a partly cloudy sky. One goat is in the foreground, facing left.

videoBiotechnology

Spidergoats to the rescue! How to make silk from milk with genetic engineering

6 minutes

Digital illustration of a complex RNA molecule with colourful nucleotides on a glowing red background, showcasing its intricate structure.

ideaBiology

If we made life in a lab, would we understand it differently?

Rebecca Wilbanks

Microscopic image of a blue, fibrous material with two tiny, curved worm-like organisms on its surface, dark background, scale bar.

essayEarth science and climate

Life goes deeper

The Earth is not a solid mass of rock: its hot, dark, fractured subsurface is home to weird and wonderful life forms

Gaetan Borgonie & Maggie Lau

A market stall with sunflowers, vegetables, and a ‘Self Serve’ sign on a blue and white floral tablecloth in a park.

essayTechnology and the self

Natural, shmatural

Mother Nature might be lovely, but moral she is not. She doesn’t love us or want what’s best for us

Molly Hodgdon

A person in a wingsuit flying over a mountainous landscape with winding roads and lush green vegetation below.

ideaFuture of technology

Humans have long wished to fly like birds: maybe we shall

Nicholas Carr

A cyclist wearing a polka dot jersey, riding uphill during a race, cheered by a crowd of spectators.

ideaSports and games

The solution to doping is to extend the blame beyond athletes

Silvia Camporesi & James Knuckles

A coloured electron microscope image shows clumps of spherical bacteria against a blue background.

ideaGenetics

We made a minimal cell and began a synthetic-life revolution

Dan Gibson

A painting of a person with a yellow headscarf and striped robe in front of an abstract, colourful background with orange tones.

essayBiotechnology

Bio-techne

Half-human soldiers, robot servants and eagle drones – the Greeks got there first. Could an AI learn from their stories?

Adrienne Mayor

White flowers and green leaves lit by bright sunlight, creating a soft, glowing effect in the background.

essayThe environment

Sunshine in a bottle

Mimic the dance between carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and you can tap into clean solar energy and ease climate change

Peter Forbes

Close-up of a hand holding dried green tea leaves.

ideaBiotechnology

Biohackers should produce a microbial uberfood for the world

Dawn Field

Collage of three people’s faces on beige background, creating a composite portrait. Image appears to be digitally created.

videoArt

Spray the DNA away – an artist’s stand against encroaching genetic surveillance

4 minutes

Bioluminescent microscopic organisms glowing in a dark background, photograph showing various shapes and patterns in blue light.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

How beautiful bioluminescent bacteria can expose invisible water pollution

3 minutes

Close-up of a green chameleon resting on a branch with a blurred background.

videoEvolution

How chameleons change colours not to blend in, but for nearly opposite reasons

4 minutes

Multiple small, round robots with glowing LED lights in various colours on a flat white surface

videoBioethics

The mini robots that may show how to ‘programme’ cells for improved performance

4 minutes