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
Why ‘Do your own research’ and ‘Believe in Science’ encourage science illiteracy
During the pandemic, we turned to our leaders for updates on the rapidly worsening, unprecedented situation. As days turned to ...
What is ‘genetic conflict’ and how does it shape human psychology?
As a species, humans like to think that we are fully in control of our decisions and behavior. But just ...
GLP podcast: Our food is poisoning us? Here are the facts about red dye, pesticides and processing
With a few thumb taps on a smart phone, we can order an almost limitless selection of foods and have ...
Antibiotic resistance may be reversible. Here’s how
Peering through his microscope in 1910, Franco-Canadian microbiologist Félix d'Hérelle noticed some “clear spots” in his bacterial cultures, an anomaly ...
How a brain-threatening parasite could soon be programed to deliver life-saving drugs
Parasites take an enormous toll on human and veterinary health. But researchers may have found a way for patients with brain ...
‘You are a stain on the universe. Please die. Please’: A 14-year old took AI seriously. Who is responsible?
Demonic forces which lured unsuspecting innocents to their deaths were once the subject of myth. No longer. And while we ...
Viewpoint: ‘Chemical cocktail’ speculation is homeopathic hysteria
Blood samples of pregnant women have detectable levels of chemicals and that 'chemical cocktail' may pose [a] "neurotoxic risk", according ...
Viewpoint: DEI is infecting America’s science and medical establishment
Dr. H. Holden Thorp, the editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Science since 2019, described on Substack a discussion that occurred during [a] ...
Early humans are one of the few animals of that era that did not migrate when the climate cooled
Humans seem to have ... adapted to the last ice age in similar ways to wolves and bears, according to ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why RFK, Jr.’s proposal to backburn infectious disease over chronic disease is bad science and public policy
RFK Jr. is dead wrong about “pausing infectious disease research” to focus on chronic diseases You think I’m joking, right? ...
Viewpoint: What is ‘Spatula-Gate’? Or how reckless, chemophobic media and environmentalists bungled the science of plastics yet again
For months, the media indulged in a frenzy of fearmongering, plastering headlines about toxic flame retardants supposedly hiding in your ...
How close are we to the avian flu outbreak escalating into a pandemic?
After at least documented 66 cases of humans infected with bird flu – which is surely an undercount -- the ...
GLP podcast: ‘Spatula Gate’—The black plastic chemical scare collapses
In early October a small study published in an obscure science journal went viral for alleging that cookware and children's ...
It’s been 25 years since the first draft of the human genome. What’s next?
As 2025 approaches, we can expect the silver anniversary announcements on the completion of a draft of the human genome to ...
Viewpoint: A physician who peddles pseudoscience and profits off health disinformation. Perfect Trump pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid
Mehmet Oz has a net worth of over $100 million because of his career-long grift. Mehmet Oz is the OG ...
Childhood vaccines are under fire. Here’s what you need to know
Vaccines are objectively one of the most impactful scientific interventions in human history. Today, we have vaccines that protect against ...
Viewpoint: Trump’s health and science cabinet nominees: What a disaster
Evidence-based government policymaking should not be politicized but should strive to promote progress and benefit all Americans. Unfortunately, the expertise ...
‘Warrior gene’: If we genetically screen children to protect them from diseases, why shouldn’t we investigate their proclivity to act agressively
“Some people have real problems right out of the starting block. We can't dodge the responsibility for social action." ...
WHO outlines new principles for ethical human genomic data collection and sharing
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a set of principles for the ethical collection, access, use, and sharing of ...
‘Language Puzzle’: Exploring the mystery of how humans learned to communicate
According to Guinness World Records, the world’s fastest talker is one Sean Shannon, capable of unleashing a staggering 665 English words per minute ...
In a parallel universe, here are qualified scientists president-elect Trump would have nominated for top science agencies
As the United States prepared for a new presidential administration, Nautilus, and the Aspen Institute asked eminent scientists from across ...
GLP podcast: ‘You were going to watch 2-3 people die every day.’ ICU doctor recounts his harrowing pandemic experience
In December 2019 US doctors began to hear anecdotes coming out of China about a novel respiratory virus that caused ...
One third of Americans believe we’ve been visited by aliens and our government hides the evidence. How these delusions could spur conspiracy theories
The idea that aliens may have visited the Earth is becoming increasingly popular. Around a fifth of UK citizens believe ...
The ridiculous, endless, tedious mask debate (Believe scientists, not pundits or ideologues)
The folks at the City Journal must not be aware of the quip, “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.” They ...
Podcast: ‘Shot In The Arm’—documentary exposes anti-vaccine movement’s underhanded tactics during COVID pandemic
When SARS-CoV-2 swept across the world in late 2019, nobody was prepared for the disaster that unfolded. Physicians tried to ...
Viewpoint: Does peanut oil in vaccines cause an allergy to peanuts? That’s the latest RFK, Jr. health claim and like most others he’s wrong
I want to address this recent excerpt from RFK Jr.’s appearance on Mikhaila [Peterson's] podcast, so let’s get into it ...
The ‘tangled web’ of aging
Aging is far more complex than just an advancing clock. It's a tangled web of molecular changes that don’t play ...
