In 2015, the FDA approved the first 3D-printed prescription tablet

How 3D printing inside cells paves the way for microscopic machines

In 2026, scientists in Slovenia developed a method to 3D print a small elephant, several microscopic geometric objects, and barcodes for cell labeling within living human cells, which continued to grow and divide thereafter. The experiment opens the door to fabricating devices within cells to study and manipulate cellular functions.

NASA funded research into creating pizza with a 3D printer

The agency awarded a contract for the development of devices that can create edible structures from long-lasting dry powders when mixed with liquids or pastes. By delaying this integration until the time of consumption, food could last longer than the current six-month expiration of freeze-dried meals for Mars expeditions.

Read the FDA's statement on concerns over compound pharmacies

GLP-1 drugs popularity for weight loss and treating diabetes, led to a significant supply shortage and the rise of compound pharmacies, which produce customized drug formulations but lack formal approval from regulators. The drugs are ostensibly the same, but manufacturing methods lead to variations in concentration, filler compounds, and more.

The first 3D printing patent was filed in 1967

Wyn Swainson, an English literature graduate student, filed a patent in Denmark for a system that scans an object and uses the scanning data to rebuild it using lasers that harden light-sensitive plastic. However, he never developed a working prototype. The idea originated from wanting to produce recreations of sculptures.

Most custom earmolds for in-ear hearing aids are made using 3D printing

The technology has also been utilized for behind-the-ear and receiver-in-canal hearing aids, allowing for the creation of structures tailored to the patient's anatomy for enhanced effectiveness. 3D printing has also been used to print retinal eye cells and custom eyeglass frames.

The benefits of 3D printing batteries, from safety to sustainability

Rather than using the liquid electrolyte commonly found in lithium-ion batteries, 3D-printed batteries would use a solid layer, which can be custom-built into different shapes, deliver higher energy density by building thinner layers, and be fabricated with fewer raw materials compared to injection molding.

US FDA recently approved the first new schizophrenia drug in decades

Though other antipsychotics block dopamine receptors, a new drug, Cobenfy, influences dopamine levels via a different pathway—it stimulates a pair of specialized receptors in the brain that control the release of a substance called acetylcholine. This alternative approach may help patients avoid serious side effects like weight gain. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Software subscriptions, licenses, and climate control systems add to 3D printing costs

Although the sharing of designs and reduced manual labor suggested the fabrication of prosthetics would be facilitated by 3D printing, particularly in developing regions, software and hardware requirements have posed hurdles to achieving this goal. While some insurance companies have refused to cover 3D-printed limbs, they are covered by Medicare.

Massive 3D printers have been used to build homes by stacking layers of 'concrete toothpaste,' a fire-resistant material that effectively insulates against outside noise.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

The first CRISPR-approved treatment was for sickle cell anemia in 2023

Victoria Gray was the first patient to receive a CRISPR-based therapy, which eliminated her symptoms and restored her health. The therapy's initial cost of $2.2M has kept it out of reach of many patients.

Drugs in space: the pharmacy orbiting the Earth

Researchers are developing pharmaceutical solutions for astronauts, whose bodies may not respond the same way in space as they would on Earth. Similar to how microgravity causes changes to astronaut physiology, the environmental shift enables new...

Pill bottles have often been orange to help protect medication from UV light

Amber pill bottles were introduced in 1968 to keep medications potent while allowing patients to see how much medication they had left. The color has since become universally associated with prescription medication.

FDA approved the first ever peanut allergy treatment in January 2020

This new medication, called Palforzia, is designed to stave off severe reactions from accidental peanut exposures with a daily dose that is increased over time under an allergist’s supervision. It’s not a treatment that should be administered during an allergic reaction, however. Epinephrine, usually administered via injection, remains the intervention for severe reactions.

Technological breakthroughs are spurring innovations in the industry

What if you could see your tattoos before they’re embedded in your skin? Or take a virtual visit into a local studio to work out your nerves over a first tattoo? The industry is anticipating some big technological changes, from 3D designs to sci-fi upgrades to more precise tattoo guns.

The FDA rejected MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD in 2024, calling for more research

The decision was considered to be a major setback for moving psychedelics into the mainstream for mental health treatment. Pharmaceutical company Lykos, who had applied for the approval, had already attracted significant support from patients, politicians on both sides of the aisle, and leaders in the mental health field.

The 3D-printed rocket maker competing with SpaceX

Producing rockets cheaply and at scale may require atypical manufacturing processes like those developed by Relativity Space, a 3D-printer of rockets. Relativity hopes to not just compete with, but beat, SpaceX in the race to get the first...

Pharmaceutical companies can use ChatGPT to improve drug development

Moderna has incorporated the tool into its workflows to accelerate analysis and identify optimal drug dosage from clinical data. The company's legal team also uses a custom GPT—Contract Companion—to break down and summarize contracts quickly.

Aspirin was the first synthesized anti-inflammatory drug

Once used by the ancient Sumarians—extracted from willow bark—but now synthesized in the lab, the active ingredient of this popular medication has been used to treat headaches and pain for thousands of years.

The US FDA recently tried to regulate the expanded prenatal genetic tests

The agency proposed a new rule in 2023 to make it explicit that these types of tests are devices under existing law and clarify that that the agency could move to regulate them. They finalized a regulatory change in 2024 that added the words "including when the manufacturer of these products is a laboratory" to an existing law, but a federal district court vacated that edit in March 2025—returning the law to as it was before.

Stereolithography uses light to fabricate objects in layers via chemical reactions

Specific locations in a tank of light-sensitive liquid resin are exposed to projected light, causing them to cure onto a build platform. The resulting cross-section of hardened plastic is moved slightly away from the light source, exposing it to resin once more, and the process repeats to produce successive layers.

The new antibiotic killing drug-resistant bacteria

A new class of antibiotics had not been discovered in more than 50 years—until late 2023, when MIT researchers announced a new antibiotic called Zosurabalpin. In animal testing, Zosurabalpin was able to treat at least one type of superbug. While the drug still needs to go through clinical trials, it is a significant advance at a time when new antibiotics are in great demand.

Hikma v. Amarin is a case the Supreme Court is hearing in 2026 that could impact how much you ultimately pay for prescription drugs

The case explores the liability of a generic drug maker for patent infringement. Hikma Pharmaceuticals launched a generic for Amarin Pharma's Vascepa (a fish oil drug), carving out a still-patented use and instead explicitly selling its product for another unprotected use. But Hikma was sued for its marketing materials that still alluded to the patented indication without outright referencing it.

Artificial coral reefs have been 3D printed from nontoxic, biodegradable terracotta clay, which coral polyps have used as a foundation for rebuilding marine ecosystems.

How the placebo effect became mainstream

Contemporary patients and medical students take the placebo effect for granted, as its a standard element in most drug trials. But the concept was only first debated and standardized in the 1950s after a ground-breaking 1955 paper by medical...

Coca-Cola was created during a patent medicine boom

A "patent medicine" is a proprietary medicine that is ostensibly created and marketed under a patent, and, crucially, is available without prescription.

New drugs called Gepants have been shown to improve the quality of life of many sufferers.

Journalist Eva Wiseman has had migraines since childhood. Beginning with a yawn they segue into visual auras before turning into severe pain. As it so happened, she experienced a migraine during the course of her interview with Dr. Peter Goadsby, a pioneer in understanding and treating migraines as well as getting the world to treat them seriously.

Immersive technologies are increasingly being used in medicine, retail, and education

More accessible devices and user-friendly tools have increased the adoption of these technologies, which provide interactive, 3D environments that facilitate natural human learning. In 2018, Walmart purchased 17,000 VR headsets to train over a million employees in areas such as customer service and Black Friday preparation.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Astronauts have repaired genetic damage in space using CRISPR—a molecular tool that can make precise changes to DNA and is used in single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.

An Ebola vaccine was developed during the 2018 west African Ebola outbreak, but the 2026 Ebola outbreak is with a different species of the virus, not the one that the vaccine is approved to treat.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Jimmy Carter signed a 1978 bill that legalized home brewing, a move credited with kick-starting the craft beer industry.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.