Google's Cancer-Seeking Pill Is Pure Magic

There's something brewing behind closed doors at the hypersecret Google X Research Labs — and it's a huge deal for medicine and the millions of people affected by cancer.

The tech giant is working on microscopic nanoparticles that circulate through the bloodstream as they hunt for cancerous cells. The nanoparticles enter the body through what Google calls a "Nano Pill," which can be swallowed. Once these body-monitoring particles are in circulation, they communicate with a device worn on the wrist that can track them and decipher what they see.

How does this life-saving process work? A magnetic field is created by the wrist device to attract the nanoparticles, whose core is also magnetic. Google is also experimenting with light and radio waves as a noninvasive way to detect and count the particles. Information from the smart particles can inform physicians about what's going on in the body, so doctors can offer pre-emptive solutions rather than reactive ones.

Source: Google

Cancer survival rates depend on this type of early detection, according to Andrew Conrad, head of life sciences at Google X, which is why he's hoping that these microscopic inventions will catch diseases before they mature. Conrad made the announcement at the Wall Street Journal digital conference, and a bit from his talk is embedded below.

Is Google making headway in the future of medicine? With a health-tracking smart contact lens for diabetes patients also in the works, it very well may be.