Innovative medical procedures; mysteries of fundamental biology; consequences of health policy shocks. Live Science covered all of these topics and more in 2025—and you can read some of our best Health Channel longreads from the year below. The following list includes interviews, book excerpts and news analysis, as well as articles from our Spotlight on Science series, which looks at how science is changing the world as we know it.
1. Secrets of the oldest woman in the world
Maria Brañas Morera, once the oldest woman in the world, died in 2024 at the age of 117. Live Science magazine took a closer look at the study, which studied Branyas biology and identified key character traits that could protect her from illness in old age. Can the lessons from the study help others live longer, healthier lives?
2. What makes us human?
Many believe that the brain is the central feature that makes us human, but how did this remarkable organ come to be? In an interview with a science communicator Jim Al-Khalili discussed what he had learned filming of the new BBC show “Horizon: Secrets of the Brain””, which tells the story of the evolution of the human brain. excerpt from the book And Live Science interviewneuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin described evolutionary forces that he believed played a key role in shaping the human brain and consciousness as we know it.
3. Can lab-grown brains become conscious?
Miniature models of the human brain can be grown from stem cells in the laboratory, and they are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Some scientists have expressed concern that these “mini-brains” might become conscious and feel pain. We studied the experts' concerns and hopes for future research regulation.
4. Prospects for mRNA medicine
mRNA is perhaps best known for being the basis of the first COVID-19 vaccines, but it can also be used in revolutionary cancer treatments, immunoreprogramming techniques and gene therapy. The promise of these new mRNA drugs is exciting, but with the politicization of COVID-19 vaccinations in the US, mRNA research and development—even those unrelated to vaccines—now hangs in precarious limbo. Science Spotlight feature described new mRNA technologies and their precarious status under the second Trump administration.
5. Cancer in young people
You may have heard that more and more young people are being diagnosed with cancer. But which cancers are driving this trend? And why are rates rising at all? We looked at what could be causing this pattern.from major cancer triggers to better early detection methods.
6. Male and female brains
Is there really a difference between male and female brains? And do we even have the data needed to answer this question? The focus of science has been researched existing research on sex differences in the brainfinding the results grimmer than might have been expected. Headlines often claim that men's and women's brains are “wired differently,” and in some ways this may be true. But the biological implications of these differences remain unclear, even to experts in the field.
7. AI develops viruses
Artificial intelligence can now be used to create completely new viruses. Scientists hope to use these viruses for good, such as treating drug-resistant bacterial infections. But could this technology lead to the creation of the next generation of biological weapons? An analysis revealed this dual-use problem and what can be done to protect our biosecurity.
8. When a pandemic becomes an “inevitability,” how do we prepare?
In an excerpt from the book, an epidemiologist Dr. Seth Berkley explained how he and other health leaders organized mass vaccine distribution in poor countries during the COVID-19 pandemicso that the shots are not stored exclusively by rich countries. Live Science also spoke to Berkeley about lessons learned from pandemic and the ongoing fight for vaccine equity.
9. USAID Abbreviations
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), once the world's largest foreign aid agency, has suffered from massive funding cuts under the second Trump administration. It is reported that some of its functions will remain under the control of the State Department. We looked at foreseeable and devastating consequences of the loss of USAID are likely to receive HIV care worldwide. And in interview with writer John Greenwho published book about tuberculosis (TB) this yearwe looked at what this reduction might mean for TB patients.
10. Microplastics in the brain
A study has gone viral after suggesting that a healthy person's brain may contain the same amount of plastic as a regular plastic spoon. But should we really worry? Our analysis reveals what we know and what we don't. about microplastics in the brain.
11. How to avoid early Alzheimer's disease
A man who is genetically guaranteed to develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease is still healthy at 70. We found out the details of the man's casedelving into its genetic profile and the wider lessons it can teach scientists about dementia.
12. Mental health after weight loss surgery.
Weight loss surgery often results in improved mental health, but research has shown that this effect has less to do with the weight loss itself and more to do with easing the stigma that people often feel after the procedure. We investigated this finding and what it can tell us about the profound impact of weight stigma on people's health and well-being.
13. Measles is coming back.
In 2000, the United States achieved a major public health milestone by eliminating measles. But now there is a sustained resurgence of the highly infectious disease, putting the country on the brink of losing that precious eradication status. This story explained how we got here and what's at stake. In their article, several experts mentioned the anti-vaccination movement, which has led to a decline in measles vaccination rates—a movement that Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has headed the.
14. Is America Losing the War on Cancer?
In an excerpt from the book Nafis Hassan argued that the United States had been using the wrong cancer control strategies for decades. By focusing on finding treatments for people with cancer, America has largely ignored population-level strategies that could help reduce cancer incidence and mortality across the board, he argued.
15. Threats to fetal tissue research
The US federal government is threatening to restrict research done on human fetal tissue. In an article by a cell biologist, geneticist and neurobiologist Lawrence Goldstein absent-minded widespread myths and misinformation about this type of research.
16. “Big” is a disaster that has eclipsed Covid-19.
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm predicts that the next pandemic could be even worse than Covid-19. There is an excerpt in the book And Live Science interviewOsterholm described the lessons we should have learned from the coronavirus pandemic and how recent changes in US policy could undermine our ability to deal with serious outbreaks.
17. Climate change may cause hyponatremia.
As the planet warms, a dangerous condition called hyponatremia may be on the rise. This disease causes a sharp decrease in sodium levels in the body, which can potentially cause seizures, coma and death. A Live Science exclusive takes a look at the emerging trend.
18. Robots giving birth to babies?
The viral story revealed that researchers from China were working on a “pregnancy robot” that could carry a human child from conception to birth. It turns out that this story was a complete fiction – but was it theoretically possible to implement such technology? Experts praise the sci-fi idea and discussed whether it might eventually be possible to create a real robot for pregnant women.
