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.
‘Flecks of ancient viral DNA’ could be sparking cancer in modern-day humans
Cancer growth can be fueled by flecks of ancient viral DNA lodged into the genetics of modern humans, a new ...
Mars Base Alpha: Inside Elon Musk’s plans to build a Martian civilization of a million people in 20 years
Musk has directed SpaceX employees to drill into the design and details of a Martian city, according to people with ...
Darwin vs Wallace: 150-year-old argument on evolution resolved by AI
In the 1800s, a conflict between the founding fathers of evolution divided the community between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel ...
This is your brain on ‘magic mushrooms’
If you had to come up with a groovy visualization of the human brain on psychedelic drugs, it might look ...
More than three-quarters of Americans still believe a god created humans in some form. Believe it or not, that’s an all-time low
Twenty-four percent of U.S. adults accept the scientific theory of evolution and 37%, are creationist purists ...
5,000 years ago, European human populations plummeted in numbers. Could the plague be the culprit?
DNA evidence from tombs in Sweden and Denmark suggests major plague outbreaks were responsible for the Neolithic decline in northern ...
Synthetic fireflies? Identifying contaminated water with gene-edited cells that light up when they detect pollutants
Study has revealed a revolutionary method for identifying contaminants in water using the properties of fireflies ...
Why consciousness? Understanding the evolution of human intelligence helps inform the future of AI
Neuropsychologists argue consciousness is not result of evolution of the central nervous system, but arose for humans to better communicate ...
Study of nearly 5,000 9 and 10 year-olds reveals that sex and gender map onto largely distinct parts of the brain
A new study of nearly 5,000 9- and 10-year-olds found that sex and gender map onto largely distinct parts of ...
Animal commuication breakthrough: How AI could help us decode what our pets are saying
We could train artificial intelligence (AI) to understand animal communication better than we can, using footage of animal interactions ...
Viewpoint: The dangerous emerging anti-vaccine political alliance between Donald Trump and RFK, Jr.
Former president Donald Trump appeared to share Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long-held vaccine skepticism and urged the independent presidential candidate to do something “big” ...
Are you a loud sneezer? Here’s why that might be a good thing
While the causes of sneezing vary, there’s no reason a virus should produce a louder sneeze than grass pollen ...
Only 10% of all plastic ever made has been recycled. Here’s why — and how we can improve the recycling process
Technology is giving us more options to reuse and recycle plastic waste, but new methods are still far from perfect ...
Child immunization rates plunged during COVID. New data from the WHO shows the world has yet to recover
The COVID-19 pandemic was marked by a significant and concerning drop in the rate of routine vaccinations ...
‘Neanderthals cared for and looked after their vulnerable companions’: Human ancestor child with Down syndrome lived to 6 years old
A Neanderthal child with Down’s syndrome survived until at least the age of six, according to a new study on ...
Does having a dog improve your health? Digging into the fuzzy science of pet ownership
Research suggesting that pet ownership improves health is largely funded by the pet care industry. Does that matter? ...
Your appendix is more than ‘a useless fossil in your abdomen’ — it could be a hidden safe house for healthy gut bacteria
Appendicitis is a well-known medical problem, but you may be surprised to learn that your appendix can, in rare cases, ...
This medieval woman was buried among 22 male soldiers. Was she a warrior too?
Buried at a castle in Spain, a woman was found alongside the remains of 22 men who likely died on ...
Running out of storage: Here’s how our brains decide which memories are worth keeping
We’ve known for some time now that during sleep, the brain undergoes a memory spring cleaning of sorts, during which ...
Removing both ovaries can have overlooked brain health consequences in the long run
Study has scientists concerned that the surgical removal of both ovaries can have overlooked health consequences in the long run ...
Realistic robot skin: Combination of cultured cells and silicone could help robots appear more human in future
A combination of cultured cells and silicone could help robots appear more human in future thanks to realistic skin elasticity ...
Viewpoint: Science Based Medicine challenges two recent New York Times articles ‘misrepresenting’ the science on COVID
NY Times is not interested in articles that rebut the two recent essays they published regarding the COVID-19 pandemic ...
‘Weapon of the future’: AI-powered war machines fuel potential new era of ‘killer robots’
Founders of Vyriy, a Ukrainian drone company, recently worked on a weapon of the future, a machine gun that can ...
Why did early humans turn to cannibalism? It might have had little to do with hunger
Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner wasn't expecting an ancient revelation during a routine examination of a Paleolithic shin bone in 2017. She observed clean, carved ...
Headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness: Here’s what is really behind the Havana Syndrome phenomenon
A review of studies and circumstances surrounding episode leads to clear conclusion that what's dubbed ‘Havana Syndrome’ is Iatrogenesis ...
Genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease more strongly influenced by mother’s side than father’s side of the family
The genetic risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is more strongly influenced by the mother's side than the father's side ...
AI agents: What are they — and will they ‘usher in the kind of useful AI we have been dreaming about for decades?’
Tech companies are plowing vast sums into creating AI agents, and their research efforts could usher in useful AI we ...
