Newsletter GLP Human
PEW and transhumanism: Public has mixed concerns about arriving era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human enhancement
Americans regard advances in artificial intelligence and human enhancement technologies with a degree of caution and uncertainty. A new Pew Research ...
Why are there tuskless elephants? Blame ivory hunting
For hundreds of years, people in Africa and Asia have traded in ivory. The material is taken from the tusks ...
GLP Podcast: ‘Toxic 10’ chemicals in food; Gene editing treats heart disease? Dog-breed myths debunked
There's a "toxic 10" group of chemicals lurking in every single food you consume. Listen in to find out what ...
We have no idea what lies ahead with COVID
Recently on the local news, New York governor Kathy Hochul confidently proclaimed that we would not experience another COVID surge ...
Once-a-month injection to control opioid addiction? Buprenorphine has shown enormous promise
Dr. Andrew Herring has a clear goal walking into every appointment with patients seeking medication to treat an opioid use ...
GLP Podcast: GMO grapes coming soon? Golden Rice is here; FDA’s dubious animal gene-editing rules
GMO grapes exist, so why can't we buy them? Farmers in the Philippines have access to disease-fighting Golden Rice after ...
Omicron has birthed a slew of COVID subvariants. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe
Two years into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans can be forgiven if they've lost track of the latest variants circulating nationally ...
Alternative and natural medicine quackery is on the rise. Here’s why the placebo effect is part of the problem
For several decades now, many scientists, including me, have been working hard to reveal the full power and scope of ...
The world wastes billions of tons of food each year. Here’s how we can transform it into clean energy
Food waste is a growing problem in Canada and many other parts of the world — and it is only ...
Prudent predators: Can humans mimic animal evolution to avoid over-exploiting our natural resources?
People have been trying to understand how predators and prey are able to stay balanced within our planet’s ecosystems for ...
Roma ‘gypsy’ people of Europe have long held a fascination for geneticists. Here’s why
The Roma people have long held a special fascination for population geneticists who study the frequencies of genetic diseases. The ...
Viewpoint: Anti-vaccine backlash is not going away — and its long term consequences are grim
As of January 25, 2022, some 40% of Americans [1] have not been fully vaccinated. [2] This, notwithstanding valiant efforts ...
Viewpoint: Africans need to be part of the conversation in determining the future of artificial intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) was once the stuff of science fiction. But it’s becoming widespread. It is used in mobile phone ...
GLP Podcast: Vaccine denier vs skeptic; Food changes DNA? Biotech will help solve next health crisis
Treating vaccine-hesitant individuals like they are hardcore vaccine "deniers" could backfire as a science-outreach strategy. Can the food you eat ...
Human life span may have few limits, analysis of supercentenarians suggests
In 1875, Harper’s Weekly declared one Lomer Griffin of Lodi, Ohio, to be, “in all probability,” the oldest man in the ...
Unveiling the genome of the ancient dingo — whose DNA is in every dog in the world
“Maybe a dingo ate your baby!” suggested Elaine Benis (Julia Louis Dreyfus) in an episode of Seinfeld in season 3, ...
Viewpoint — COVID fallout raises prickly question: Does science need a ‘rebrand’ to restore credibility as nonpartisan?
Harley-Davidson is one of the most iconic brands in the world. Harley-Davidson, however, doesn’t sell motorcycles – it sells a ...
Artificial wombs: The coming era of motherless births?
Scientifically, it’s called ectogenesis, a term coined by J.B.S. Haldane in 1924. The technology is on its way. How will ...
GLP Podcast: ‘Science-backed’ case for organic food; Dirty Dozen debunked; Gene therapy treats deadly immune disorder
Is there a science-based case for organic farming? One professor says yes, but how compelling are his arguments? Environmental Working ...
Viewpoint: E.O. Wilson’s legacy under fire in some quarters after donated papers underscore fascination with racial differences and human diversity
Did Edward O. Wilson — Harvard professor, iconic biologist, champion of global biodiversity — promote racist ideas? For years, some ...
Universal ‘pan coronavirus vaccine’? Scientists believe it’s possible within 2-3 years
Masks are coming off and we’re venturing back into the world, thanks largely to vaccines and natural immunity. Still, viral ...
Viewpoint: Before we ban all PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ — found in products from non-stick frying pans to medical equipment — let’s require ideologically-neutral cost-benefit analysis
Recently, calls for a complete ban of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever-chemicals”, have intensified in the ...
Technological innovation is spurring evolutionary changes. Here’s how humanity may look 10,000 years from now
Humanity is the unlikely result of 4 billion years of evolution. From self-replicating molecules in Archean seas, to eyeless fish ...
GLP Podcast: ‘Cancel’ culture comes for science outreach; Activism blocks avian flu solution; CRISPR-edited cats?
A major university recently halted a science outreach event because the invited speakers were white men. Has so-called "cancel culture" ...
Where should society draw ethical lines for experimental CRISPR gene therapies that appear able to cure diseases?
It has been more than a year since Markus Mapara, MD, a professor of medicine and director of blood and ...
What are acetogens? And how could synthetic biology turn oil, coal and other fossil fuels into green, carbon-negative chemicals?
When most people hear about oil, as in petroleum, they think of what gets refined to produce gasoline. But it’s ...
Should Medicare routinely cover cost of $28,000-a-year Alzheimer’s drug Adumelm? Most medical professionals say ‘no’ but the pharmaceutical industry is fighting back
The drug industry, patient advocates, and congressional Republicans have all attacked federal officials’ decision to decline routine Medicare coverage for ...
