BackgroundLarge-scale earthquakes are associated with high and persistent rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Although Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are both guideline-recommended treatments for PTSD, direct randomized comparisons—particularly in post-disaster settings and via remote delivery—remain limited.MethodsIn this randomized, controlled, parallel-group trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06758362), 89 adult survivors of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye who met DSM-5 criteria for PTSD were assigned to 12 sessions of remotely delivered EMDR (n = 30), CBT (n = 30), or a wait-list control group (n = 29). PTSD severity was the primary outcome, with depression, anxiety, and emotion regulation as secondary outcomes. Assessments were conducted at baseline, mid-treatment, and post-treatment. Analyses followed an intention-to-treat framework using mixed-effects models.ResultsBoth EMDR and CBT produced large reductions in PTSD symptoms compared with the control condition (Cohen’s d ≈ 1.9), alongside moderate-to-large improvements in depression (d ≈ 1.4) and anxiety (d ≈ 1.3). Symptom improvement was evident by mid-treatment and increased through post-treatment. Direct comparisons between EMDR and CBT yielded overlapping confidence intervals, indicating comparable overall efficacy. However, EMDR showed a tendency toward greater reduction in core PTSD symptoms, whereas CBT demonstrated relatively stronger effects on depressive symptoms. Improvements in emotion regulation were observed in both treatment groups but did not reach statistical significance.DiscussionThe findings suggest that both EMDR and CBT are highly effective when delivered remotely in the aftermath of a large-scale natural disaster. Differential response patterns likely reflect distinct therapeutic mechanisms—direct trauma memory processing in EMDR versus cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation in CBT—highlighting their potential complementarity rather than superiority of one approach over the other. The absence of spontaneous improvement in the control group underscores the necessity of structured psychological intervention following earthquake exposure.ConclusionRemotely delivered EMDR and CBT are feasible, effective, and clinically valuable interventions for earthquake-related PTSD. Their comparable efficacy and partially distinct symptom profiles support flexible, needs-based integration of both treatments within disaster mental-health systems.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06758362, identifier NCT06758362.
Naming in medicine: how disease nomenclature shapes diagnosis, research and patient lives
Nature Medicine, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04456-w
Naming in medicine: how disease nomenclature shapes diagnosis, research and patient lives
Semaglutide versus placebo in individuals with poor weight loss after bariatric surgery: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Nature Medicine, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04416-4
At week 68, in patients who experienced poor weight loss following bariatric surgery, semaglutide was associated with 18.0% weight loss compared to 0.4% weight gain in patients receiving placebo.
AI-induced never-skilling in medical education
Nature Medicine, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04438-y
Will medical trainees who rely on AI fail to develop foundational independent clinical reasoning? This Perspective outlines a precautionary framework to preserve foundational competence while supporting safe and effective AI integration in medical training.
<![CDATA[Psychiatrist Gus Alva highlights new depression therapies, neuromodulation, and why screening for bipolar disorder prevents antidepressant harm.]]>
STAT+: EU and US advisers split over AstraZeneca breast cancer drug
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Merck’s bet on an antibody-drug conjugate developed in China has paid off in a major Phase 3 lung cancer study, where sacituzumab tirumotecan paired with Keytruda sharply outperformed Keytruda alone in a subset of lung cancer patients.
Also, the NIH is down another leader, and Sam Altman-backed longevity startup Retro Biosciences raises more funds.
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Parkinson’s drug setback, a Merck lung cancer therapy, and more
And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is unusually busy thanks to a lengthy to-do list that must be tackled before we walk one of the no-longer-so-short people down the aisle. What else? Hard to keep track, but once the chaos subsides, we hope to settle in for another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? Spring is in the air, so perhaps this is time to hike a trail, stroll through a park, or take a long drive to nowhere. You could also plan a summer getaway (book now before those fuel costs rise again) or clear out the perennial clutter. If all this is too much or the weather fails to cooperate, you could simply go into zen mode and plan the rest of your life. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you on Tuesday, since there is a long weekend due to a holiday on this side of the pond. …
Biogen and Denali Therapeutics said Thursday that their experimental therapy for Parkinson’s disease failed to slow the degenerative brain disorder in a randomized trial, dealing a substantial blow to a scientific approach that stoked excitement among advocates and academics, STAT explains. In the study, 648 adults with Parkinson’s were randomized to receive either a placebo or a pill targeting a protein called LRRK2. In 2004, researchers discovered that mutations in the LRRK2 gene can cause a rare, inherited form of Parkinson’s. And in 2018, another group of scientists showed that blocking the protein might actually benefit all patients with the disease. The results are a significant setback to the latter idea.
Earlier this month, Genentech offered countless academics and other researchers up to $125,000 in grants to generate papers about several topics that read like key talking points for a trip to Capitol Hill, STAT reports. The company is seeking “rigorous, independent” work that focuses on the potential consequences of U.S. pricing policies on future innovation, the idea that pharmaceutical discovery is a strategic national asset, and the risks surrounding R&D, according to a request for proposals that came with a June 30 deadline for submissions. Such overtures are hardly new, but this particular solicitation appears notable partly because the company is being very direct about seeking research that is designed to address specific points, rather than solicit topics that may — or may not — dovetail with corporate goals.
A CDC page on mpox caught in political crosshairs
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Good morning and happy Friday. I hope you’ve got great long weekend plans ahead. But first, scroll down to read about a Senate hearing on the NIH, a Supreme Court death penalty decision, and two related items on confusion around STIs.
The Download: coding’s future, the ‘Steroid Olympics,’ and AI-driven science
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
Anthropic’s Code with Claude showed off coding’s future—whether you like it or not
At Anthropic’s developer event in London this week, Code with Claude, attendees were asked if they’d shipped code written entirely by Claude. Almost half the room raised their hands. Many admitted they hadn’t even read the code before pushing it live.
As tools like Claude Code get better, more and more developers are happy to hand their work off to AI. Anthropic says it wants to push automation as far as it will go. But not everyone is convinced that’s the right approach.
Read the full story on how AI is reshaping coding for good.
—Will Douglas Heaven
The Enhanced Games fit right in with the rest of 2026’s longevity vibes
This Sunday, 42 athletes will gather in Las Vegas for the inaugural Enhanced Games, a controversial sporting competition that allows the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The goal? To “push the boundaries of human performance.”
The event embodies a zeitgeist of peptide-crazed looksmaxxing, where consumers are encouraged to get thinner than ever, optimize for longevity, and have their “best baby.” In 2026, if you’re not enhancing, what are you even doing?
Find out how the competition reflects our enhancement-obsessed era.
—Jessica Hamzelou
This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.
Google I/O showed how the path for AI-driven science is shifting
—Grace Huckins
During Tuesday’s Google I/O keynote, Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, proclaimed that we are “standing in the foothills of the singularity.” But what struck me as I listened in the audience was the context in which he said those words.
The contrast reflects two directions for AI in science. One builds specialized systems like WeatherNext for specific problems. The other pushes toward agentic, LLM-based systems that could eventually execute cutting-edge research projects without human involvement.
The big scientific announcement at I/O was Gemini for Science, which leans further into this agent-driven future. It can still call on specialized systems, but Google appears to be transitioning away from them.
Here’s how the shift could affect science.
Can AI learn to understand the world?
Many leading AI researchers have turned their attention to a new kind of system that understands the physical environment: world models.
Backed by researchers at Google DeepMind, Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs, and Meta’s former Chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, the idea is gaining serious momentum. Could it change how AI understands reality?
MIT Technology Review editor in chief Mat Honan, senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven, and AI reporter Grace Huckins unpacked it all in an exclusive Roundtables discussion yesterday.
Subscribers can watch the full recording now.
World models are also one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, our list of what’s really worth your attention in the busy, buzzy world of AI.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Trump has postponed an AI order due to overregulation fears
He said he was concerned it would be “a blocker.” (CNBC)
+ And that he wants to preserve the US’s lead over China in AI. (Reuters $)
+ A source said the delay was because he “just hates regulation.” (Axios)
+ A war over regulation is coming to America. (MIT Technology Review)
2 OpenClaw’s engineers warn that a “vibe-coded slop” crisis is coming
They say AI is flooding the world with bad and even dangerous code. (WSJ $)
+ Now vibe coding is coming to your phone, too. (The Verge)
+ What exactly is vibe coding? (MIT Technology Review)
3 SpaceX has called off the launch of a new Starship prototype
Engineers discovered a ground system glitch. (CNBC)
+ They hope to try again tonight. (Ars Technica)
+ The launch could play a key role in SpaceX’s IPO. (NPR)
4 Meta has settled a school district’s social media addiction lawsuit
It had been sued over the alleged harm caused to students. (BBC)
+ Snap, TikTok, and YouTube have also settled with the district. (NYT $)
5 Bluesky says it’s being hacked by the Kremlin to spread propaganda
It’s fighting Russian efforts to hijack real users’ accounts to post. (NYT $)
+ Now is a good time for doing crime. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Africa’s biggest economies are pushing for AI sovereignty
They aim to reduce their dependence on Big Tech. (Rest of World)
+ New strategies could make Africa a major AI player. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Undersea cables threaten the Gulf’s AI expansion plans
Conflicts have put the fragile critical infrastructure at risk. (Wired $)
8 Waymo is pausing services as robotaxis keep driving into floods
It suspended services in four US cities. (TechCrunch)
9 Microscopic silica spheres may help cool the planet
But some researchers need further convincing. (The Economist $)
10 Spotify will now let subscribers create AI remixes
It’s the first time they can use AI to create content on Spotify. (Guardian)
Quote of the day
“You have AI — actual intelligence.”
—Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak reassures college graduates about AI’s impact and draws applause, in contrast to the boos received by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt earlier this week, Business Insider reports.
One More Thing
GETTY IMAGES
The future is disabled
Technologies for disability, access, and mobility are often portrayed as objects of empowerment or heroic, life-changing panaceas for social ills. But their benefits are often temporary, lopsided, or reliant on constant investment, care, and attention.
Often, accessibility tech assumes levels of access that don’t exist: reliable internet, smartphones, or affordable devices. Projects frequently overlook the very communities they claim to serve. Yet there’s another way: opening ourselves up to all-access thinking and disabled expertise.
Discover how that approach could create a more livable world for everyone.
—Ashley Shew
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ Treat your eyes to this magical footage of a lake floating above an ocean.
+ Test your visual recall with this clever game that recreates colors from memory.
+ Take back control of your internet with this dashboard that brings together your favourite social feeds.
+ Peer into the heart of a barred spiral galaxy in this stunning new capture from the James Webb Space Telescope.
STAT+: Longevity startup Retro Biosciences says latest fundraising values it at $1.8 billion
Retro Biosciences, the longevity startup backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has raised more money at a $1.8 billion valuation, it announced Friday.
Retro has a big mission: Add 10 healthy years to the human lifespan. It is seeking to do that by using a variety of technologies, including in vivo gene therapies, cell replacement therapies, and other approaches to spur younger, healthier cells into aging tissues.
The company is currently running its first clinical trial — testing a pill designed to enhance the body’s ability to better clear out protein aggregates in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Retro CEO Joe Betts-LaCroix told the audience at STAT’s Breakthrough Summit West on Tuesday that the trial is going “super good” and that researchers haven’t seen any dose-limiting toxicities. He said he anticipates releasing some data from the trial around August.