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
When AI goes HAL 9000: How the coming age of agentic AI could unleash catastrophic cyberattacks
With all the hype about the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to revolutionize and accelerate innovation, there are some ...
Viewpoint: It’s time to move beyond the ‘sex assigned at birth’ mania
As you may have noticed, “sex” is out, and “sex assigned at birth” is in. Instead of asking for a ...
GLP podcast: Making babies in the lab? The messy ethics of embryo selection
If you could select the traits your children would have before they were born, would you do it? Once a ...
GLP spaces on X: Do Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs promote ‘fat phobia’ as some fat activists claim?
Obesity may have finally found its match in Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs that are helping many millions of people ...
MAHA ‘Mom’s Militia’ is weaponizing its ‘Children’s First’ disinformation campaign to transform the federal health system
It is unspoken but widely accepted that this moment won’t last. The time will come when the noble knight will ...
Marrying your cousin: Might it provide some evolutionary benefits?
The taboo against cousin marriages may be overblown--and there may even be an evolutionary argument in support of it in ...
GLP podcast: ‘Hyperreality.’ How the digital world severs our connection to truth
Endless social media feeds, 24-hour news cycles, and AI-driven search engines have empowered us to curate the content we consume ...
Viewpoint: No, childhood vaccines are not more harmful than the diseases they effectively prevent
Vaccinations not only safeguard individual health but also preserve the collective health of our communities, ensuring that preventable infectious diseases ...
Viewpoint: Hollywood’s latest bizarre (un)health fetish: ‘I have Lyme disease!!’
Last week, media outlets were awash with headlines about another celebrity revealing a years-long battle with Lyme disease. Justin Timberlake ...
GLP spaces on X: ‘Designer baby’ revolution is coming. Are we ready?
The day is rapidly approaching when many people will reproduce in the lab instead of the bedroom. Rather than pairing ...
Why dogs and cats are evolving to look alike?
Domestication has made cats and dogs more diverse, but also curiously alike – with serious implications for their health and ...
Viewpoint—Science arsonist: NIH director is like the firefighter who sets a house ablaze so he can put it out and claim he’s a hero
On August 12, Jay Bhattacharya wrote an op-ed defending Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services’ decision ...
Cracking the brain’s code: Breakthrough tools could transform treatment for Parkinson’s, ALS, and Huntington’s
The brain isn’t a uniform slab of gray matter — it’s a remarkably intricate landscape made up of thousands of ...
Viewpoint: Everything is a carcinogen! Here’s why there are so many lawsuits claiming safe chemicals cause cancer
Somewhere in Berkeley, California, Ramazzini fellow, Martyn T Smith, is looking out of his window dreaming of methods to find ...
Viewpoint: AI and consciousness—How we will ethically interact with robots as they develop the ‘intelligence’ to show feelings
Sooner than we think, public opinion is going to diverge along ideological lines around rights and moral consideration for artificial intelligence ...
Viewpoint: 98 years ago, Carrie Buck was labeled an ‘imbecile’ and ordered sterilized. Today, the wealthy can select the ‘best genes’ for their child. Is there a difference?
Almost 100 years ago, Carrie Buck was raped, labeled an “imbecile,” and sterilized by order of the state — all ...
Viewpoint: NGO deception III—Opportunistic activists promote expensive and unrealistic ‘cures’ to fake sustainability crises
The ‘Filthy Fifteen’ exposes the worst ‘environmental and health ‘fear profiteers’ and campaigns—from activist ideologues to corporate opportunists—who knowingly spread ...
GLP podcast: Legalize all drugs? Here’s an ER doctor’s perspective
As an increasing number of US states begin to liberalize their drug laws, allowing recreational use of marijuana and even ...
Viewpoint: NGO deception II—How environmental activists turn faux chemical crises into marketing and fundraising bonanzas
The ‘Filthy Fifteen’ exposes the worst environmental and health ‘fear profiteers’ and campaigns—from activist ideologues to corporate opportunists—who knowingly spread ...
Viewpoint: NGO deception I — 5 environmental health activist bogus fear campaigns
The ‘Filthy Fifteen’ exposes the worst environmental and health ‘fear profiteers’ and campaigns—from activist ideologues to corporate opportunists—who knowingly spread ...
Commemoration or Condemnation? Memory, morality, and the meaning of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
August 6 is one of the most consequential anniversaries for Americans, our World War II allies, and Japan—each for different ...
Science and the courts need to better distinguish between correlations and causation
Correctly distinguishing between correlation and causation is critical because it influences how treatments for illnesses are devised and tested. Also, ...
Ectogenesis: How artificial placentas could aid premature babies, upend entrenched abortion views
Survival rates are likely to be improved for infants born prematurely, and those requiring invasive treatments -- including surgery, cell ...
GLP podcast: COVID shots in 2025. Who needs a booster and why?
Five years after COVID-19 began to turn the world upside down, controversy continues to rage around the life-saving mRNA vaccines ...
Prescription roulette personalized medicine: How genetic testing could eliminate many drug side effects
For millions of Americans, taking medication is a routine and necessary part of maintaining health, but if you’ve watched drug ...
From dyslexia to distinction: Remembering Dr. Beryl Benacerraf — a pioneer who transformed prenatal and gynecologic care
When, in 2022, I came across the obituary of Dr. Beryl Benacerraf, I was reminded of her father’s connection with ...
Hairless humans: We have all the genes to go full Chewbacca, but they’re just turned off. Here’s why
Have you ever wondered why you don’t have thick hair covering your whole body like a dog, cat or gorilla ...
