How acupuncture works is still debated. Traditional medicine speaks of qi and meridians. This post explores spinal gating, brain networks, and context effects.

Introduction How this post came about The idea for this Bleeding Edge Biology series came from a personal experience. A family member has a chronic condition that has resisted treatment, and they are now looking to acupuncture for relief. Does acupuncture work? Watching someone you care about cycle...

Organismal biology and ecology have primarily been defined by what scientists could observe from the outside. Researchers mapped migration routes, measured metabolic rates, and sequenced genomes with clinical precision. Yet, the field remained locked out of the internal lives of its subjects. Animal...

Why the personalized mRNA cancer vaccine suddenly matters The phrase personalized mRNA cancer vaccine sounds like sci fi. Like nuclear fusion, it seems like a promise that will always live a few years away from reality. For decades, cancer vaccines have cycled through hope and disappointment. While...

Scientists are inching closer to creating lab made human eggs—and even sperm—from ordinary cells. A recent study marks real progress, building on animal work that already produced mice from lab-made gametes. The promise is immense, but precision and ethics will shape when this technology reaches the...

Trump’s research funding cuts threaten health, climate, and innovation. Learn what’s at risk—and how you can help fight back to save American science.