Mental Floss
9 archaeological finds that have reshaped our views of human evolution
Here are nine of the most revealing discoveries that have changed our understanding of our early ancestors—and ourselves. ... 2 ...
Pesticide fears spark winegrower interest in CRISPR-edited, disease-resistant grapes
According to a study conducted in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wine grapes were first domesticated around 8000 ...
LEGO-inspired research gives lab-grown meat more realistic texture
A group of food scientists who are working to create lab-grown meat have found inspiration in an unlikely source: LEGOs. According ...
What’s a ‘GMO’ food?
[W]hat exactly is a GMO? The initialism stands for "genetically modified organism," but it's a term lacking scientific precision. Moreover, ...
Flower power: Decoded sunflower genome could unlock increased oil, stress tolerance
Take that, sunflowers. The convoluted genetic code that has thwarted scientists for so long has finally been cracked. Scientists published ...
How dyslexia affects brain function: It’s not just about reading and language
Dyslexia is not just about reading, or even language. It’s about something more fundamental: How much can the brain adapt ...
Heart attack victims: Stem cell therapy offers promise
Stem cell technology has produced some very exciting advances in medicine recently. Now a recent study from Penn State details ...
Neanderthals may have shrieked, rather than grunted
The sounds of the Stone Age may have been even less dignified than we thought. A vocal expert working with ...
How bacteria inspired the birth of CRISPR gene editing
Within a few years, the study of CRISPR had moved beyond fundamental research into a full-fledged gene-editing revolution that enabled ...
What can Iranian scientists teach the West about stem cell research?
[In the past 14 years, Iran has] made great strides in stem cell research. And now that Iran is losing ...
Discovery of single gene mutation could shine light on three different rare diseases
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)—a trifecta of weird diseases ...
Genetically engineered spider silk in North Face’s new jacket
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. You can't tell just ...
Junk DNA and 5 other examples of human evolutionary remnants
The following is an excerpt. People have speculated over the nature of seemingly useless physical characteristics in living things for ...