Science Controversies
NASA Twins Study finds thousands of epigenetic changes in astronaut Scott Kelly
When astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth after a year floating about the International Space Station, he was noticeably different from his ...
Viewpoint: Taxpayer-funded Canadian news agency promotes ‘fake news’ about glyphosate herbicide’s health risks
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed anti-GMO activist scientist Theirry Vrain and published an article featuring several false and misleading claims ...
France rejects 5-year renewal for glyphosate herbicide; wants 3-year license instead
France will oppose a European Commission proposal to renew authorisation for controversial weedkiller glyphosate for five years instead of 10, ...
Bernie Sanders, 10 Senate Democrats push USDA for ‘consumer-friendly’ GMO label
Senate Democrats are pushing the Agriculture Department to create a labeling standard for products made with genetically modified organisms (GMO) that ...
How the ‘Dunning-Kruger’ effect explains public’s anti-GMO views
[A] new study from Carnegie Mellon University has provided key information on what factors influence public acceptance of GMOs and ...
Video: Dissecting claim that Canadian professor is a ‘Monsanto sock puppet’
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently brought forth allegations that professor Peter Phillips of the University of Saskatchewan is a Monsanto ...
Gene therapy creates boy’s replacement skin from his stem cells
Doctors treated a 7-year-old boy’s devastating genetic skin disease—junctional epidermolysis bullosa—by genetically modifying his stem cells to create a new ...
Targeting RNA with CRISPR could reverse half of known pathogenic point mutations
The scope of CRISPR-based research has […] expanded because of the introduction of two new concepts. First, researchers began to ...
Immortal dictators: Is there a downside to life-extending technologies?
Suppose there was a country ruled by an evil dictator. Further, suppose the entire world was plagued by a terrible ...
Artificial intelligence fears could lead to over-regulation
[A]s we begin to realise [artificial intelligence] opportunities, the potential risks increase: that AI will proliferate, uncontrolled and unregulated, in ...
Bacteria-armed mosquitos approved for US release in fight against Zika, dengue and yellow fever
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of a common bacterium to kill wild mosquitoes that transmit ...
Food fears: How anti-science myths—like ‘clean eating’ and GMO health risks—make eaters anxious
We talk about food in the negative: What we shouldn’t eat, what we’ll regret later, what’s evil, dangerously tempting, unhealthy ...
‘Science Moms’ documentary counters anti-GMO, anti-vaccine misinformation
In an era of fear-based marketing targeted to parents, one group of moms hopes to launch a movement of science-minded ...
Neurologic disorders may be linked to brain’s immune system
New research suggests there could be a link between certain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, and the brain's inability to clear ...
Genetic engineering ‘fastest method’ to save Florida citrus industry from greening disease
[Editor's note: Manjul Dutt is a research assistant scientist and Jude Grosser is a research professor, both at the University of ...
USDA scraps overhaul of GMO and gene edited crop regulations that biotech advocates viewed as ‘unscientific’
The Trump administration withdrew a proposed USDA rule change made by the Obama administration that would have been the first ...
Sequenced potato genomes could speed development of disease-resistant varieties
Examining the ancestors of the modern, North American cultivated potato has revealed a set of common genes and important genetic ...
Video: Exploring the possibilities offered by CRISPR gene editing
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionised gene-editing, but cutting DNA isn’t all it can do. From turning gene expression on and ...
Will herbicide drift damage push non-GMO farmers to buy dicamba-resistant seeds?
About 4 percent of all soybean crops planted in the United States have been damaged by a weed killer this ...
New Zealand farmers group drops lawsuit, paving way for local GMO bans
Federated Farmers has dropped a legal battle against rulings allowing regional councils to decide whether genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can ...
Viewpoint: ‘Gattaca’ reminds us that gene editing has dark possibilities
[Editor's note: Osagie Obasogie is a professor of bioethics at the University of California-Berkeley.] Set in the not-too-distant future, the ...
How the Midwest became the Silicon Valley of agriculture
Matthew Crisp, president and CEO of Benson Hill Biosystems, [says] the rural zones of Midwestern America are proving fertile ground for ...
14 corn genes identified that could boost vitamin E levels
New research has identified genes that control vitamin E content in maize grain, a finding that could lead to improving ...
Viewpoint: Challenges to glyphosate, neonic safety shows science under attack from ‘viral misinformation’
The news of scientific prejudice [in the decision by IARC stating that glyphosate was a likely carcinogen, on top of ...
Two of a kind? Twins offer unique glimpse into human development
In the world of genetics, identical twins offer a valuable source for study. And they've shown that our genetic makeup ...
Closing gap between rich and poor farmers: CRISPR gene editing targets disease, pests and climate
Gene editing technology could revolutionize the way scientists breed high-yielding drought, disease and pest resistant, quality plant seeds, greatly reducing ...
GMO canola high in omega-3 oils up for regulatory approval in Australia
The first genetically modified canola with health benefits is being scrutinised by [Australia's] Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The ...
