Ancestry & Evolution
GMO ‘foreign gene’ fears? Breeders incorporating unknown DNA into food crops for centuries
One of the more popular criticisms of genetically modified food revolves around fears that foods are being "contaminated" by "foreign" ...
Mobile chunks of DNA important for recent human evolution
Mobile pieces of DNA can jump around in the human genome and exert powerful regulatory effects on neighboring genes at ...
European Jews closley related and not converted Khazars
If you're European Jewish and meet another European member of the community, odds are you're at least 30th cousins. A ...
Night owl or early bird, your genes matter
A couple of weeks ago I asked students in one of my classes whether they were early risers or night ...
Is genetic screening for all a new eugenics?
In recent weeks, there’s been talk of three types of genetic testing transitioning from targeted populations to the general public: ...
More evidence IQ is in the genes
It was named the language gene before we really understood what it did. Now mice given the human version of ...
Louisiana govenor in evolution hot seat, was Rhodes scholar who studied biology
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal dodged three questions on Tuesday about whether he personally believes the theory of evolution explains the ...
Neuroscience, mindfullness and reslience in school kids
For scientists the concept of psychological resilience began in the 1970s with studies of children who did fine – or ...
Some patients with genetic risk start Alzheimer’s prevention strategies in their 30s
Max Lugavere seems an unlikely patient to be sitting in an Alzheimer's clinic. The fit, 32-year-old, dressed in Converse All-Star ...
Researcher probes why viruses remain genetically stable for some time, then rapidly mutate
Unlike most kids, Katia Koelle’s first love was math, a passion she picked up from enthusiastic instructors. “One of my ...
Cutting edge DNA test needed in rape case involving identical twin
The rape suspect, court papers said, was identified by a longtime friend who said they committed the crime together. The ...
Random events in human development important for both nature and nuture
Is our behavior determined by genetics, or are we products of our environments? What matters more for the development of ...
Alzheimer’s, heart disease and other age-related conditions share risk factors and genetics
The two seemingly unrelated conditions may be driven by similar unhealthy states, including high blood pressure and diabetes. According to ...
Evolution do-over might lead to the same place
Scientists have often wondered if evolution happened all over again, what would life on earth look like? A Harvard biologist ...
Has Jack the Ripper been identified from DNA?
An armchair detective with a book to sell claims he has revealed Jack the Ripper's identity. His findings need to ...
More genes for prostate cancer, better predictions of inherited risk
An international team of scientists has identified 23 new genetic variants linked to a greater risk for prostate cancer. Although ...
New IVF technique may cut multiple births, complications
Although IVF has been used for decades and is considered very safe, the procedure does increase pregnancy risks because it ...
World not ready for Ebola to develop into an airborne mutation: 1.2 million could die
The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has the potential to alter history as much as any plague has ever done ...
Chimpanzee’s highly heritable intelligence window on human IQ
General intelligence in chimpanzees appears to be about 50 percent heritable, which lines up with work on the genetics of ...
Playing God: An unapolgetic transhumanist manifesto
If you've ever fantasised about uploading your mind to the internet, or gestating your genetically modified children in an artificial ...
Beyond evolution, transhumanists’ visions for the human race
Homo sapiens were not always so special. In the ancient past, other human forms lived beside us. The Neanderthals in ...
Replication errors a boon for flu virus’ quick mutations
Scientists have demonstrated that the influenza A virus makes use of its error-prone genetic replication to increase diversity, thereby facilitating ...
How will evolution and technology interact in the future of the human species?
Will our bodies evolve to eliminate age-related diseases or will we use technology to change our bodies before that happens? ...
Sperm contains dad’s lifestyle information alongside basic genetic material
Since I'm a guy, this may sound weird, but I've always found sperm to be pretty boring as cells. You ...
Genetics of intelligence: many, many genes with tiny effects
The explanation of the inheritance of intelligence has long been studied, but without any blockbuster results. A new study adds ...
Bat brains help tell us how processing works in our own
When you’re driving a car, you pass by people, places, colors and shapes. Suddenly, you see one particular combination of ...