Human Features
The GLP tackles innovations in human genetics and biotechnology. We highlight the work of our own writers, as well as that of contributors from around the Web. The GLP does not take a position on genetics-related issues; any opinions expressed belong to the authors.
Categories include:
- CRISPR and gene editing
- Gene therapy
- Stem cell research
- Genetic diseases
- Synthetic biology
- Epigenetics
- Biodrugs (pharmacogenetics)
- Personal genomics
- Ancestry and evolution
- Ethics and regulations
Viewpoint: How the $6.8 billion wellness industry spins tales of deception
The global wellness industry sells itself as the future of health, happiness, and longevity—but first, what exactly is "wellness"? The ...
Facts & Fallacies podcast: ‘Zombie apocalypse’? Cities move toward drug legalization, flirt with disaster
An ambitious cohort of cities across the US and Canada has moved ever closer to legalizing drug use—with tragic results ...
Viewpoint—A hard look at the Fauci diaries: Do they change what we know about COVID’s origins?
Recently released diaries of Dr. Anthony Fauci reveal significant gaps between what senior scientists and officials said privately about COVID-19 ...
Poll: Vaccine hesitancy soars when patients distrust health providers and turn to social media
People who don’t have a trusted health care provider are more likely than people with one to believe or lean ...
The retreat of environmental extremism: Why activist NGOs are losing favor
During the American heat dome or Europe’s summer swelter and the hottest June days on record, we no longer have ...
Viewpoint: Is there new evidence that the animal deworming drug ivermectin decreases the risk of Covid and cancer? Don’t waste your money.
Though researchers have been studying the animal deworming drug ivermectin for decades, there is no evidence that it’s a safe or effective way to ...
Hiroshima at 81: America’s new nuclear bomb, a buried Iranian target, and a question no one wants to ask
August 6 is one of the most consequential and emotional anniversaries for Americans, our World War II allies, and Japan—each ...
Anti-vaccine myths rattle health care
KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust shows that larger shares of the public express uncertainty over common ...
Viewpoint: High-dose resveratrol supplements to extend health and life? Don’t waste your money.
A quick online search for “resveratrol supplements” finds dozens produced by various companies. They contain anywhere from 50 to 500 ...
Peptides, patient autonomy, and the limits of medical freedom
John Stossel’s case for medical freedom is emotionally and philosophically powerful: if we own our bodies, why should the government ...
Viewpoint: Yes, we can adapt to a changing climate without devastating the environment and the economy
Adaptation to climate has long been disparaged by climate advocates. Adaptation has been framed as an avoidable cost of the ...
Viewpoint—The Strategic Litigation boom: Understanding the tightening coalition among NGOs, foundations, journalists, and tort lawyers
Ten years ago, when I started writing SlimeGate, many in the activist NGO world felt uncomfortable about getting into bed with ...
Embryo gene editing is on the horizon, stirring mixed emotions
All Posts As Edward Donnell Ivy remembers it, many of the sickle cell episodes he endured in his 20s were ...
Dr. TikTok and male fertility: Viral claims tout GLP-1 drugs as fertility boosters. What does the science say?
The "TikTok Medical Group" has stirred the viral waters around biohacking male infertility. GLP-1 receptor agonists are proving to be ...
40 million Americans take glucosamine. If you have memory loss, it could accelerate cognitive decline.
People with Alzheimer’s disease who took the common supplement glucosamine were 25% more likely to die within five years than ...
Viewpoint: What’s the impact of the U.S. abandoning support for global health?
Worsening fiscal constraints and changing policy priorities have resulted in significant funding cuts to global health and development programs. While ...
Facts & Fallacies Podcast: Europe’s AC debacle underscores fatal flaw in green activism
Is Europe’s ideological aversion to air conditioning quietly killing thousands of people? A surprising body of evidence suggests that the ...
Viewpoint: Polyphenols or NAD+ supplements to combat aging: No, Gwenyth Paltrow and followers, don’t waste your money.
“No, I don’t.” That’s my answer to the increasingly frequent questions I’ve been asked about whether I take anti-aging supplements ...
Viewpoint: Long-contained diseases are on the rise in the U.S. Are Trump cuts to blame?
As beachgoers flock to water during the busy July Fourth weekend, danger could be lurking in some areas. Researchers this ...
Viewpoint: Europe’s rejection of air conditioning is the poster child for misunderstanding how to mitigate the impact of climate change
Europe is warming: ~0.5°C per decade since the 1980s. Figure 1 shows the continent’s annual count of days since 1950 ...
‘Alternative’ cancer treatments that could kill you
The diagnosis of cancer brings fear, uncertainty, and an urgent search for control. In that vulnerable moment, alternative cancer therapies ...
Viewpoint: Trump poised to politicize all U.S.-supported science research
I recall the precise moment I realized U.S. science was in for a very rough time. My wife and I ...
Facts & Fallacies podcast: The ‘woke’ crusade against anthropology? Dr. Elizabeth Weiss
Museums are now reburying both 12,000-year-old human skeletons and presenting creation myths as factual history—while critical research on the first ...
World’s first AI-designed vaccine explained
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed what they describe as a fundamentally new type of vaccine using artificial intelligence (AI) ...
Viewpoint: How politicized science became a political religion
Political science is a social science that studies the workings of government. Lately it seems to have picked up a ...
Viewpoint: The Lackland flu outbreak is fading but Hegseth’s military anti-vaccine fiasco is not
The flu outbreak at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has now become more than a military installation health problem. It is ...
Viewpoint—Gutting the CDC: Survey of current and past CDC workforce accuses RFK, Jr. and Trump of destroying the agency and endangering public health
Since the Trump administration took office in January 2025, the workforce at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ...
