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.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
What did the real paleo diet look like?
Reconstructions of human evolution are prone to simple, overly-tidy scenarios. Our ancestors, for example, stood on two legs to look ...
NYC subways a germafobes worst nightmare? Study authors denouce ‘fear-based’ reporting
Recently, our paper published in Cell Systems surveyed DNA of the entire NYC subway system. Specifically, we had fragments of DNA that matched a myriad of ...
Food Babe plays race, sexist shill cards from “Deck of Deflection”
Vani Hari's new book attacking chemicals and GMOs in food is a roaring sales success. But that hasn't stopped critics ...
Kit expands genetic screening options for Ashkenazi Jewish couples
When a Jewish couple is planning their wedding or anticipating starting a family, they probably aren’t thinking much about rare ...
20-year saga with brain disease highlights questions about precision medicine plan
Which chapter came first? Was it the genetic predilection for alcohol that created [Barbar's] lifestyle (pure chaos) and environment (streets, shelters, hotels)? ...
Bob Simon’s final 60 Minutes: Grinding progress of ZMAPP Ebola GMO drug
The final story of Bob Simon's brilliant journalism career put him in the middle of a GMO controversy--the use of ...
Confession of liberal, organic food consumer-scientist: ‘I support GMOs’
I love organic food. My “significant other” cooks and eats only organic and I love her food. My confession: I ...
Mystery of obesity: Failed ‘rectal transplant’ raises questions about role of gut microbes
A recent fecal transplant case leading to serious weight gain has resulted in a rule against overweight fecal donors. Did ...
Trouble settling down? Sexual promiscuity may be hardwired in genes
Next time your significant other catches you in bed with someone else, try this defense: "Don't take it personally, babe ...
Mother Jones’s missed opportunity to reverse GMO safety consensus denialism
A year ago, Mother Jones published a balanced report on crop biotechnology, embracing the global consensus that GMOs are safe--a ...
Screening for rare disorder saves couple from second childbirth nightmare
A Colorado couple has two healthy children thanks to sophisticated genetic screening. They were able to choose disease-free embryos over ...
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ rewritten for horny biology nerds
Ricki Lewis, a genetic counselor and biology textbook author, has her own unique take on the salacious bestselling book and now ...
For cancer, timing and order of mutations determine outcome
For the first time, researchers have proved that the order in which cancer genes mutate affects the type of malignancy ...
How Food Babe mobilized an army against GMOs and chemicals
Over the past three years, Vani Hari has rapidly become one of the most popular voices on nutrition in mainstream ...
Designer children? Will movement for 3-parent babies change how we view parenthood?
Last week members of the British House of Commons passed a bill legalizing mitochondrial DNA transfers--a process that combines three ...
Should human genetic modification always be considered taboo?
Want to see what a genetically modified human looks like? Just glance in the mirror. You are the result of ...
Is century-old remedy the solution to antibiotic resistance?
Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, scientists have amassed a medical arsenal of more than 130 antibiotics. The drugs ...
Obesity linked to our nervous system
The team scoured DNA libraries of more than 300,000 people, constructing the largest-ever genetic map of obesity. Looking for consistent ...
Coming age of Xenotransplantation: Would you accept an organ from a pig to save your life?
21 people die every day in the US awaiting a transplant. A shortage of organs means a shortage of organs ...
Was Beethoven’s music inspired by genetic mutations for arrhythmia?
Arrhythmia is a largely a genetic condition that can greatly hinder--or in the rare case of Beethoven, inspire--life. New research ...
Drug-resistant malaria may pose enormous threat, doctor warns
Despite a sharp drop in malaria-related deaths over the past decade, a veteran doctor here, in the heart of the ...
Discussion with Mary-Claire King: Breast cancer gene discoverer
There has never been a scientific career quite like Mary-Claire King’s. Years ago, her doctoral thesis concluded that humans and ...
Challenge to Apple, Facebook: Unfair to prioritize egg-freezing over childcare
The pressure is immense. In stepped a few corporate giants with a plan meant to help young (and youngish) women ...
How do viruses become contagious?
Here are two recent stories about viruses. They started out alike, and ended up very differently. In October, a woman ...
DNA testing under fire in wake of fake herbal supplements investigation
An investigation using DNA barcoding of four giant retailers--Walmart, GNC, Target and Walgreen's--finds most supplements do not contain the herbs ...
Precision medicine is a big step in the right direction
Re “ ‘Moonshot’ Medicine Will Let Us Down” (Op-Ed, Jan. 29): Michael J. Joyner asserts that precision medicine, an exciting ...
Does harder living translate to shorter lifespans?
A common belief among human life history researchers is that "harsher" environments - i.e., those with higher mortality rates and ...
