Mind-altering substances are overhyped as miracle drugs

Others are using AI to analyze “travel logs” to determine exactly what psychedelic drugs are doing to our brains, I reported in March.

There’s a lot of anecdotal data to draw from. Many people are sharing stories of their own experiences with psychedelics online, as Taylor Majewski reported earlier this year.

From anywhere on the web:

Ten thousand people died of covid-19 last week. But the World Health Organization hopes that at some point next year it can say the virus no longer represents a global health emergency. (WHO)

Covid cases rise in China as restrictions are lifted, and authorities are urging people not to panic by buying fever medicine, painkillers and canned peaches. (CNN)

Telehealth websites leak users’ sensitive health information to tech companies. An investigation revealed that people’s personally identifiable data, as well as information about their mental health, is shared with Facebook. (STAT)

A personalized mRNA cancer vaccine has worked well in a Phase 2 clinical trial, according to an announcement from pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck. When used with an existing drug, the mRNA vaccine reduces the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 44% compared to using the existing drug alone. (modern)

Volunteers suffering from depression have 14 electrodes implanted in their brains to better understand and treat their symptoms. Neuroscientists have used the data collected so far to create a “mood decoder”. “Depression is like a constant weight on your soul,” a brain-boosted volunteer told me. “When they hit that perfect little spot, that weight lifted.” (MIT Technology Review)