Hormone and peptide compounds imported from China soared in 2025

China is producing many peptides or peptide components sold in the US

In Silicon Valley, in particular, peptides have taken off, and are often coming from China—even though many of the products are unproven for their purported uses.

The US FDA issued a 2025 warning about BPC-157 and other popular peptides

BPC-157, which mimics a naturally occurring gut peptide involved in soft tissue repair, has been marketed for various regenerative properties. But the FDA warned in July 2025 that it doesn't have enough data to assess its safety in humans and that such products may also pose risks related to contamination.

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

America doesn't have enough estradiol patches for menopause and perimenopause demand

Fueled in part by the lifting of the FDA's black box warning about HRT risks, sales of estradiol patches in the US have shot upward. More than 142 million units of the patches were sold in 2025 versus 46.5 million in 2020. Suppliers are failing to keep up with demand—11 patch products were in short supply in early 2026. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

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

12% of adults were taking injectable GLP-1 for weight loss according to 2025 survey

Weight loss injectable use rose sharply between 2024 and fall 2025. The percentage of adults who reported taking this class of medicine specifically for weight loss increased to 12.4%, compared with 5.8% in February 2024 when Gallup first measured it.

Gen Z's love for perfume is boosting sales

Teen boys are the biggest driver in perfume sales as of the summer of 2025. They have increased their spending on fragrances 26% year-over-year as the trend blossoms on TikTok via #PerfumeTok. Additionally, users of weight loss drugs GLP-1 agonists are adding to sales, as they seek olfactory over culinary sensations.

One Chinese businessman controls 70% of the fireworks entering the US

A warehouse explosion in 2008 forced all pyrotechnic shipments to travel through the Shanghai port under three special permits Ding Yan Zhong was given. Since then, he has established a near-monopoly over the global fireworks distribution chain, with logistics and shipping hubs in China and California. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Meet six commercially available synbio products

An article exploring the science behind synbio products currently on the market, and projecting the products that can be expected over the next 10 years.

China doubled its nuclear stockpile between 2020 and 2025, with plans for further expansion

China's arsenal grew from an estimated 300 warheads in 2020 to approximately 600 in 2025—making it the world's third-largest nuclear power. The US Department of Defense projects that China will surpass 1,000 warheads by 2030.

Fast, cheap, and deadly: How fentanyl replaced heroin and hooked America

This interactive article details how fentanyl has largely replaced heroin in the drug trade, with fatal results. Fentanyl was first developed in 1959 as an anesthetic for pain relief, but the drug took hold in the US black market in 2014 and has since exploded in the intervening decade.

The Lunar New Year is a major driver in China's economy

The annual festival brings in billions of dollars in both foreign and domestic tourism. The 2026 holiday includes an additional day, something Chinese officials hope will provide an even bigger boost to the country's somewhat stubborn national retail sales.

Globalization is increasing the demand for cheese

The increased popularity of Western cuisine has affected the cheese market in historically cheese-averse regions like East Asia. Japan has gotten particularly excited about exploring what cheese has to offer, with festivals and creative fusion dishes featuring the versatile ingredient.

Psychedelics are being fast-tracked for research after a 2026 executive order

Many such compounds (including LSD, psilocybin, and more) are classified as Schedule I drugs—illegal to possess and federally regarded as having no medical use. Researchers say such restrictions have created significant hurdles for formal clinical trials. With this executive order, the FDA will enable work particularly focused on depression, PTSD, and alcohol use disorder.

The average grocery trip in 2025 totaled $150.84, up 3.6% from the previous year

That's according to data from Consumer Affairs. Some prices, like for specific sodas and breakfast cereals, increased by more than 20% over the same time period.

The global consulting industry was worth roughly $710B in 2023

From 2017 to 2021, the consulting firm McKinsey took in $77M in consulting contracts with just the US Food and Drug Administration alone.

AI data center growth has created shortages and price hikes in computer parts

The parallel processing needed to power large language models for AI chatbots and other tools drove demand for high-speed graphics processing units to spike in 2025, enabling capital-rich technology companies to price out consumers. Similar demands for the computer memory used in storage drives are expected to keep shortages from easing through 2028.

The US exported more crude oil and petroleum products than it imported in 2025

In fact, the US has been exporting more oil and petroleum products than it imports since August 2021. Petroleum and petroleum product exports totaled about 10.7 million barrels per day, whereas imports totaled about 7.9 million barrels per day.

In 2024, global ad spend surpassed $1T for the first time

Organizations like GroupM and WARC began predicting this record high in 2023. Five large tech companies (Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Alibaba, and TikTok parent ByteDance) were predicted to account for more than half of all global ad spend in 2024.

The stablecoin market increased tenfold from 2020 to 2025

Specifically, the stablecoin market grew from about $28B in 2020 to $282B in 2025. Some experts forecast that it could grow anywhere from 6.7x to 14.2x by 2030.

Global xenotransplantation market may already be valued at more than $13B

With more than 100,000 people on the waiting list for organs at any given time in the United States, there's a known demand for organ transplants. Some estimates put the value of the global xenotransplantation market above $13B in recent years—and project the market to continue growing.

Superbugs could claim 1.9 million lives per year by 2050

The increased use of antibiotics combined with an aging population, is projected to result in an almost 50% increase in global deaths from antimicrobial resistance each year. At the same time, antibiotic use for livestock is expected to increase by 30% over the same time frame.

Trump's H-1B fee hike could reshape US industries and global talent flows

Analysts warn the new H-1B fee could trigger labor shortages in tech, medicine, and universities; push firms to offshore more work; and drive skilled Indian workers and students toward other countries—weakening America's innovation edge.

Visualizing the global supply chain of medicine

The typical medicine we consume is the end result of a complex global supply chain involving highly specialized compartmentalization. Most medicine was made locally until open trade policies enabled global trade in the 1980s. This visual essay is...

How the Montreal Protocol made CFCs the most valuable Miami contraband after cocaine

Following the 1990s production ban, smugglers flooded Miami with illegal chlorofluorocarbons used in air conditioning. A 15-kilogram cylinder bought for $70 in Europe could sell for $242 in the US, fueling multimillion-dollar black-market trade. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

In 2024, US private equity posted an 8.1% return

Tracked by Cambridge Associates, 2024 performance saw limited partner distributions overtake contributions for the first time in years. Cambridge Associates, a leader in the space, typically uses a 2.0x+ MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital) as a benchmark for top-quartile PE fund success.

The economics of horseshoe crab blood

Horseshoe crabs are older than dinosaurs and have survived five mass extinctions that wiped most life from the planet. But it's only now that their future as a species is in danger. This blood, worth about $60,000 per gallon, is hyper-sensitized to certain bacteria that are fatal to humans. This 17-minute podcast dives into humanity's pursuit of horseshoe crab blood, a "somewhat magical" mixture heavily relied on by the pharmaceutical industry.

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

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

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.

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

The USPS spent $3.97B in 2024, accounting for .058% of the federal budget.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Poison ivy will likely become both larger and more resilient due to climate change.

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.

The 2026 Ebola outbreak in the DRC is spurring new Ebola vaccine development for the Bundibugyo species.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

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.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

The Nasdaq's 'Magnificent 7' companies are responsible for roughly 40% of the Nasdaq 100 index's gains, while the remaining 93 companies account for the other 60%.

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.

Massive blooms of microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates produce the neon blue light seen in glowing tides.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.