Daily Human Digest
Every day, the staff of the Genetic Literacy Project scours the Web for stories on a range of human genetics issues, including gene editing, regulations and bioethics, gene therapy, epigenetics, personal genomics, evolution, ancestry and artificial intelligence. We publish excerpts of those stories and encourage our readers to visit the original publications for the complete stories.
The genetics of loneliness
Studies have shown the impact loneliness has on human health. The adverse health effects of loneliness rival that of smoking ...
Infections and intelligence: A virus could have been evolutionary spark that led to rapid evolution of human brains
A new study has unraveled a mystery that is key to understanding the course of human and animal evolution ...
Viewpoint: Consensus as truth? How ‘science misinformation police’ control policy narratives
There are many problems with the notion of consensus-as-truth and the (self)appointment of misinformation police to regulate discourse ...
Should you write by hand or type up your notes? Here’s how writing methods affect learning and memory
Typing may be faster than writing by hand, but it’s less stimulating for the brain, according to research published Friday ...
Cannabis and male fertility: Here’s how smoking marijuana affects sperm quality
A recent study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research indicates a potential link between cannabis use and an increase in testosterone, improved ...
Epidemic of severe infections of skin, scalp, and nails: Overuse of over-the-counter creams linked to antifungal resistance
CDC claims combinations of antifungal treatments with corticosteroids are contributing to the rise and spread of severe fungal infections ...
3D-printed brains: Brain tissue breakthrough could ‘change the way we look at neurological and psychiatric disorders’
Researchers have created the world’s first 3D-printed brain tissue that behaves like a natural brain tissue ...
Viewpoint: ‘Conversion therapy for gay and transgender youth is one of our darkest chapters. We shouldn’t inflict it on today’s kids’
New bills aim to create a climate of panic around young LGBTQ people’s access to health care and participation in ...
‘Anybody could be my sibling’: How poor regulation of US fertility industry leads to accidental incest
A CNN investigation into fertility fraud nationwide found that most states, including Connecticut, have no laws against it. ...
Perfume made from recycled carbon? New technology can transform CO2 from steel mill emissions into sustainable fragrances
Sustainability of fragrances, alcohol, the main constituent of most juices; can now be obtained using more environmental practices ...
Oysters have long been thought of as an aphrodisiac. Does science agree?
Experts say oysters do contain elements that may enhance sex drive, though there is no scientific evidence showing a direct ...
In midst of measles outbreak, Florida Surgeon General defies standard medical practice and allows parents to send unvaccinated kids to school
A record number of parents filed for exemptions from school vaccine requirements on religious or philosophical grounds across the US ...
Did Neanderthals create art? Engraved bone raises questions about human ancestor creativity
Examples of artistic expression in the archaeological record that reshape what we know about the cognitive abilities of Neanderthals ...
Video: Why does love make us feel so good? Examining its effect on our brains
Hop in the car to meet your lover for dinner and a flood of dopamine—the same hormone underlying cravings for ...
‘Deleting Darwinism’: Influential Indian nationalist calls for rejection of evolution, turns towards Hindu creationism
Magazine Organiser carried article arguing in favour of the ‘logic of deleting Darwinism’ and ‘Intelligent Design' ...
Four out of five people with autoimmune diseases are women. We finally know why
It's estimated that four of every five people who have an autoimmune disease are women. For some disorders the ratio ...
Video: Teaching AI to learn language like a human child to advance understanding of human development
Researchers have been skeptical that recent AI advances can tell us much about human learning and development ...
Does cannabis cause brain damage?
Just as vodka packs more of a punch than beer, a high-potency toke of cannabis — the name for the ...
Scientific paper raising health concerns about abortion pill mifepristone safety has been retracted, author links found to anti-abortion lobbying group
Supreme Court will hear the case against the abortion pill on 3/26: A two-drug regimen with misoprostol for abortions in ...
Looking back at ancient Greek and Roman aging experiences to understand origins of Alzheimer’s
Medical texts from 2,500 years ago suggesting today’s widespread dementia stems from modern environments and lifestyles ...
Death and dying: In our lawsuit-laden society, here’s why we need a more precise definition
UDDA, the U.S. legal standard for death, has deficiencies, particularly with the description of death by neurologic criteria ...
Are frozen embryos children? Alabama high court thinks so
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled February 16 that frozen embryos are people and someone can be held liable for destroying ...
‘Heart on a chip’ helps scientists assess cancer therapy cardiac risks
Chemotherapy can be toxic to heart cells. To help protect the hearts of cancer patients, Cedars-Sinai investigators have created a ...
Science of suggestion: Why are some people more susceptible to hypnosis than others?
Hypnotherapy is used to provide therapeutic remedies but many still consider it more of a cheap magician’s trick than clinical ...
Battling skin diseases: Biotech-based skincare products aim to shut down genes responsible for unwanted inflammation and itchiness
A new biotech company that aims to harness the immune system to treat a range of skin diseases will launch ...
Is technology-driven ‘exponential change’ overwhelming humanity’s genetically-inherited ability to adapt?
Human civilization has always survived periods of change. Will our rapidly evolving technological era be an exception to the rule? ...
Precision medicine timeline: ‘Floodgates might be opening for a generalized cure of most genetic diseases in less than one generation’
The ultimate goal of medicine: Instead of drugs acting on multiple parts of the body precision therapies target only one ...
