Outpoll Weekly Recap: Science (November 24 – 30, 2025)

1 day ago7 min read

This week in science felt like a direct download from the future, with biotech and AI converging to redraw the boundaries of the possible. The standout story was the landmark approval of the first CRISPR-based gene therapy for a common form of inherited blindness in the UK, a move that sent prediction markets for ‘first major CRISPR cure by 2026’ soaring to near-certainty.It’s not just a medical milestone; it’s the opening of a commercial floodgate, with markets now actively pricing in the domino effect for treatments targeting sickle cell and beta-thalassemia. Meanwhile, in the lab, a team from Stanford published a paper in *Nature* detailing a new AI model that can predict protein folding not just for static structures, but for dynamic, multi-protein complexes—a leap that could slash drug discovery timelines from years to months.The prediction contract for ‘AI-designed drug enters Phase I trials by Q3 2026’ saw a 15-point bump on the news, a clear bet on computational biology’s accelerating pace. On the climate front, the week’s drama was less about a breakthrough and more about a sobering recalibration: the COP31 preliminary talks concluded with a stark assessment that current carbon-capture technologies are underperforming projections by roughly 40%.Markets tracking ‘Net Zero by 2050’ outcomes dipped noticeably, reflecting a growing, data-driven pessimism about our technological toolkit. Yet, in a countervailing trend, a Swiss startup’s demonstration of a new high-efficiency perovskite solar cell, achieving a record 29.8% conversion in stable conditions, sparked a flurry of activity in green tech futures. The narrative this week is one of tension: breathtaking precision in manipulating life’s code contrasted with the blunt, unfinished reality of geoengineering.It’s a reminder that the future of science isn’t a smooth curve—it’s a series of quantum leaps in specific domains, while other existential challenges stubbornly demand more gritty, incremental engineering. The prediction markets are now the crystal ball, quantifying our collective confidence in each of these parallel races against time.

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