Health & Medicine
Through the study and use of genetics, we can identify measures that could lead to the improvement of human health and wellness. These methods and procedures aim to prevent years of chronic disease and thousands of dollars in health care costs, and provide families and communities with knowledge of how to live healthier.
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What dog lovers get right and wrong about canine genetics
Dog lovers talk a big game when it comes to genetics. Who hasn’t heard someone claim to know which breeds ...
Antidepressant matchmaker? Genetic test could help identify correct drugs faster
Depression is a complicated condition, and so are the people it affects. It’s often difficult — and can take months ...
Did math build a barrier between scientists and God?
In a new book called The Great Rift: Literacy, Numeracy, and the Religion-Science Divide, Michael E. Hobart offers a new twist on ...
Quest to figure out why our hair turns gray yields new answer
Scientists think they’ve stumbled upon a newly discovered mechanism that could explain why some people’s hair turns gray and others ...
Tracing the ancient roots of antibiotic resistance could help us today
Most of our antibiotics have come from microbes that live in the soil. These organisms naturally make antibiotics for their ...
Can ‘G-spotplasty’ surgery boost sexual satisfaction in women?
Three women have received a surgery intended to improve G-spot sensitivity and increase sexual satisfaction. The procedure tightens tissue in ...
Why we find ourselves at the limits of human lifespan
The 20th century was a period of unprecedented biological growth for our species. The average human lifespan increased from 31 years in ...
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus tries experimental stem cell therapy for ‘debilitating’ back pain
For much of his professional golf career [Jack] Nicklaus has had aggravating back pain that he describes as an eight ...
44 genetic variants linked to depression — and we may all carry some of them
Depression is a tricky beast. Symptoms vary widely from person to person, as does the response to treatment. But there’s no ...
Earth’s weirdest and most exotic creatures: Research bonanza for genetics and science
From the axolotl’s regenerating limbs to naked mole rat cancer resistance, new sequencing is uncovering new possibilities ...
‘Anti-vaxxers’ are starting to focus on pets—even though they can’t get autism
Dogs cannot get ‘autism’, the British Veterinary Association has warned, after the ‘anti-vaccine’ movement spread to pets. 'Anti-vaxxers' believe that ...
The ambitious effort to sequence the DNA of earth’s 1.5 million animals, plants and fungi
In what will undoubtedly be the largest genomic sequencing effort of all time, an international consortium of researchers is organizing ...
Kevin MacDonald responds to criticism of his theory of Jewish ethnocentrism and influence
Nathan Cofnas’s GLP article summarizes some of his points from his previous two comments on my work, and, although he ...
Talking Biotech: Can biofortified GMO soybeans help tackle vitamin A deficiency?
Plant scientist Monica Schmidt: By modifying only one gene, a new variety of soybeans has higher levels of beta-carotene than ...
Boosting production of key malaria drug with genetically engineered plant
Scientists have modified a plant's genetic sequence to make it produce high levels of a key malaria drug, potentially helping ...
New testosterone limits could force female runner Caster Semenya to race against men
Running phenomenon Caster Semenya of South Africa and some other top females runners will likely have to reduce their body’s natural ...
Viewpoint: California’s coffee cancer label isn’t backed by evidence—and could do more harm than good
About two-thirds of smokers will die early from cigarette-based illnesses. Cigarettes are also very addictive. Because of this, it seems reasonable to place warnings ...
‘Gene Revolution’: How genetic engineering is making food and medicine cheaper, better and more plentiful
Mankind has been improving plants and animals for millennia. Simply by selecting and breeding those they liked best, our ancestors ...
Battling cancer-causing aflatoxin contamination in Africa with genetic engineering, other technologies
We in the rich societies of the world don’t hear a lot about aflatoxin. It is probably one of the single ...
Not a nightmare: It’s possible to sweat blood
A medical case report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal from Italian researchers last year details a 21-year-old patient who began mysteriously sweating ...
Consume more than 5 glasses of wine or beer per week? Each additional drink decreases lifespan by 30 minutes, study claims
Drinking will shorten your life, according to a study that suggests every glass of wine or pint of beer over ...
DNA sequencing for mass data collection may lower consumer costs to zero
A well-organized, highly curated database of genetic data from millions of people is a potential goldmine for drug company researchers ...
Night owls more likely to eat poorly, use drugs, die earlier
Night owls may be more fun at parties, but a preference for staying out late may come with some serious ...
Biohacking can work wonders on machines, but on humans? Not so much.
We can hack our technologies, and even our societies, so why not ourselves? Alas, things are not so straightforward. While ...
Obesity paradox explained? Why muscle mass may reduce risk of death
Nearly twenty years ago, researchers began noticing a curious paradox in health-focused studies: despite common wisdom that being overweight or obese is ...
Hidden half of us: ‘You’re more microbe than you are human’
More than half of your body is not human, say scientists. Human cells make up only 43% of the body's ...
Fighting deadly adverse drug reactions through precision medicine
Lee Tan, a 41-year-old marketing professional and copywriter in Vancouver, Canada, was diagnosed with high blood pressure three years ago ...
