Podcast: DNA cancer screening tests are cheap — so why are so few people taking them?

Podcast: DNA cancer screening tests are cheap — so why are so few people taking them?

Nell Greenfieldboyce | 
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. Tests for genetic risk factors are inexpensive, and yet many ...
DNA-solved cold cases: How effective has forensic genetic genealogy been over the years?

DNA-solved cold cases: How effective has forensic genetic genealogy been over the years?

Michelle Taylor | 
The April 2018 arrest of Joseph DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer, is often considered the birth of forensic genetic genealogy ...
‘Superman syndrome’: What happens if you have an extra Y chromosome?

‘Superman syndrome’: What happens if you have an extra Y chromosome?

Ketaki Bapat | 
The superman syndrome (not related to the superhero named Superman) is a disorder in which an individual has an extra ...
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7,000+ rare diseases remain untreatable. The genetic revolution and federal research funding offers hope for cures, but vaccine hesitancy and a lack of newborn screening pose hurdles

Ricki Lewis | 
There are an estimated 7,000 known rare diseases affecting 30 million people; for 95% of them, there are no treatment ...
Why are some people more prone to allergies than others? Our genes make a difference

Why are some people more prone to allergies than others? Here’s how our genes make a difference

New research is bolstering scientific understanding behind why some people are more prone to allergies than others ...
What makes kin? DNA testing unlocks the remarkable story of a woman with three fathers

What makes kin? DNA testing unlocks remarkable story of a woman with three fathers

Amy Dockser Marcus | 
DNA tests are uncovering a generation of biological fathers and half-siblings who stretch the bounds of what makes kin ...
How does genetic makeup affect relationships with addiction?

How does genetic makeup affect relationships with addiction?

Genomic research is playing a significant role in shaping our understanding of the genetic components of addiction ...
How can we decrease risks of getting genetic-based diseases even if we carry potentially harmful genes?

How can we decrease risks of getting genetic-based diseases even if we carry potentially harmful genes?

Henry Miller | 
The study of genetics has always been an attempt to understand our biologically determined fate. Many of us know of ...
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70% of gambling behavior may be driven by genes. A new genetic test may show whether you’re at risk

Lily Ramsey | 
Studies have shown that our genes may be up to 70% responsible for gambling behavior. Now a new genetic test ...
Why do some people love salty foods? It could be because they ate a fat-rich diet as a child

Why do some people love salty foods? It could be because they ate a fat-rich diet as a child

We are all aware of the importance of eating healthy food, especially during pregnancy. A high-fat diet has dramatic consequences ...
Personalized genetics key in increasing longevity and quality of life

Personalized genetic cancer treatments key in increasing longevity and quality of life

Henry Miller, Joel Tepper | 
Personalized, or precision, medicine applied to cancer treatment has its origins in studies of human genetics and the genetic mutations ...
Precision medicine and pharmacogenetics: Here's why certain drugs work better for some people than others

Precision medicine and pharmacogenetics: Here’s why certain drugs work better for some people than others

Catherine Ho | 
UCSF soon will start a genetic testing program for patients, believed to be the first of its kind in California ...
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Does IVF increase the risk of breast or ovarian cancer by as much as 65%, as some studies claim?

Tim Barker | 
Statistics related to medical risks and care often unnecessarily frighten people, and lousy journalism doesn't help ...
l Pronatalism: The emerging eugenics movement encouraging the intellectual elite to have more children

Pronatalism: An emerging new eugenics movement encourages intellectual elites to have more children

Io Dodds | 
Linked to the subcultures of rationalism and ‘effective altruism’ (EA), and bolstered by declining birth rates, it has been gaining ...
2% of the human genome: We are finally coming to understand the mystery of ‘dark matter’ junk DA

98% of the human genome: We are finally beginning to understand the mystery of ‘dark matter’ junk DNA

David Cox | 
Twenty years ago, an enormous scientific effort revealed that the human genome contains 20,000 protein-coding genes ...
What causes hangovers after a night of heavy drinking? Genetics and personality play key roles

Will you get a hangover after a night of heavy drinking? Genetics is key

Craig Gunn | 
After a good night out you may not be surprised when you wake up feeling rough the next morning. But ...
Faith genes? Can our DNA predipose us to faith and spirituality?

Faith genes? Can DNA predispose us to religion and spirituality?

Ricki Lewis | 
Do our genes predispose us to follow a religion? I searched Google Scholar for reports on the inheritance of religiosity ...
‘It’s an erroneous belief that racial categories are objective and natural’: Experts recommend losing racial labels in genetic studies

‘It’s an erroneous belief that racial categories are objective and natural’: Experts recommend losing racial labels in genetic studies

Tina Hesman Saey | 
Human biological diversity is a continuum, but racial labels imply that people fall into discreet categories. For that reason, race ...
Epigenetics: How the environment impacts the health of you and your child — and possibly their children as well

Epigenetics: How environment impacts health of you, your child — and possibly their children as well

Meredith Salisbury | 
Why you need to know about epigenetics: A lesser-known genetic code influences your health—and that of your kids and grandkids ...
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Stretching human life span to 200 years? Implications of bowhead whale study

David Warmflash | 
A major player in the anti-genetic engineering nutritional industry is behind longevity studies on whales, that might lead to the ...
DNA in a lock of Beethoven's hair reveals his likely cause of death

DNA in a lock of Beethoven’s hair reveals his likely cause of death

Tom Almeroth-Williams | 
Beethoven’s genome has been sequenced for the first time by an international team of scientists using five genetically matching locks ...
A handful of patients inherited an early-onset Alzheimer’s gene — but never got the disease. Can they provide clues to preventing dementia?

A handful of patients inherited an early-onset Alzheimer’s gene — but never got the disease. Can they provide clues to preventing dementia?

Lauran Neergaard | 
Now scientists are on the lookout for even more Alzheimer’s escapees — people who may have simply assumed they didn’t ...
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Want your future child to get into Yale? 4 out of 10 Americans say they would pursue genetic testing of potential embryos to select for higher intelligence

Philip Ball | 
The possibility of screening embryos for complex inherited traits will force society to profoundly rethink its reproductive ethics ...
Mediterranean diet: Eating vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish may reduce dementia risk — even for those with genetic predispositions

Mediterranean diet: Eating vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish may reduce dementia risk — even for those with genetic predispositions

Linda Carroll | 
A diet that is rich in seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts and olive oil may lower the risk of dementia, a ...
Genomic scars: How centuries of surviving antisemitism has shaped Jewish genetics

Genomic scars: How centuries of surviving antisemitism has shaped Jewish genetics

Ricki Lewis | 
Between election news and the ever-earlier encroachment of Christmas, an important November anniversary of a horrific event goes mostly unnoticed: ...
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How cousin marriages can wreak genetic havoc on children

Mariam Sajid | 
The link between cousin marriages and genetic disorders in offspring is a growing problem in several countries ...
Podcast: ‘Adoption, Twins and the Genetics of Personality’ — Childhood adoption study informs nature vs nurture debate

Podcast: ‘Adoption, Twins and the Genetics of Personality’ — Childhood adoption study informs nature vs nurture debate

Cole Hons | 
Social scientists have long sought to better understand how and why different behavioral traits develop in different individuals. The question ...
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