Science Controversies
‘There is no contradiction to being a vegan and eating GMO foods’
Should vegans support GMOs and biotechnology in agriculture as a means to optimize agriculture and minimize suffering and pain of ...
Viewpoint on the STEM gender gap: Why women are less represented in most sciences
[Editor's note: Scott Alexander is a psychiatrist practicing in the US Midwest.] An article by [author and management professor] Adam ...
Viewpoint: How activists ‘hijacked’ the regulatory system in obsession to ban even safe agro-chemicals
Find something, anything, that the lay public might be convinced is dangerous. Ideally, it should have a scary-sounding name, and ...
Viewpoint: Nutritionally-enhanced Golden Rice will not solve Philippines’ malnutrition problem
According to the presentation by one of its proponents Dr. Roel Suralta from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Golden ...
Do GMOs reduce biodiversity?
[Editor's note: Heather Landry is a Ph.D. candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard University.] Although there is ...
Can crop biotechnology boost food security in Nigeria?
Since his assumption of office in May 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has repeated said that the nation’s economy must be ...
Are cardiac stem cells a ‘fountain of youth’?
Cardiac stem cells derived from young hearts helped reverse the signs of aging when directly injected into the old hearts ...
RNA editing could help slow progression of symptoms of ALS and Huntington’s
The most common gene editing technique, CRISPR-Cas9, only modifies DNA. That's helpful in most cases, but it means that you can't ...
Color Genomics’ cholesterol and heart disease test: Are expensive genetic screens worth it?
[Color Genomics] is releasing a genetic test for a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH, which causes sky-high cholesterol levels and ...
Viewpoint: Netflix movie Okja stokes unwarranted GMO fears, promotes anti-science worldview
The film about a fictitious evil corporation called "Mirando" that genetically engineers dangerous "superpigs" for food encapsulates all of the ...
First bioengineered ‘mutant ants’ could open research doors
Despite what you might've seen in 1950s monster movies, it's difficult to raise mutant ants. For years biologists have altered the ...
5 companies leading the personal genomics revolution
As gene sequencing technology gets faster and cheaper, companies are finding more ways to commercialize DNA, from offering disease-specific genetic ...
Cancer treatment uses genetically engineered biomaterial to deliver drugs and block resistance
[M]any chemotherapeutic agents […] cause serious side effects because they kill healthy cells in addition to cancer cells; some forms ...
Hacking frontier? Corrupted DNA used to seize control of computer
In what appears to be the first successful hack of a software program using DNA, researchers say malware they incorporated ...
Biosafety permit application in the Philippines edges GMO Golden Rice towards approval
After more than a decade of rigorous scientific testing and extensive research trials amid opposition by anti-GMO groups, Golden Rice ...
Micro RNA: Genetic suppression might control insect-borne diseases and limit pesticide use
New methods of controlling mosquitos without chemicals include releasing sterile males, spreading confusing pheromones and, most recently, disrupting egg development ...
Indians split over Monsanto’s role in world agriculture
As Monsanto, the Creve Coeur-based seed and pesticide giant, prepares to merge with Germany’s Bayer, observers wonder how the marriage ...
Mapping the complex wiring of our brains
Marta Zlatic owns what could be the most tedious film collection ever...the neuroscientist has stored more than 20,000 hours of ...
Neil deGrasse Tyson on why we need GMOs
When it comes to food ... there is one topic that Tyson is constantly addressing: GMOs. Most recently, he discussed genetically modified ...
Golden Rice 2.0? New GM variety increases iron, zinc and vitamin A levels to combat malnutrition
ETH researchers have developed a new rice variety that not only has increased levels of the micronutrients iron and zinc ...
Canadian celebrity chef Michael Smith: Debate over GMOs ‘disingenuous first world problems’
Celebrity chef Michael Smith came out in support of genetically-modified food at a consultation about Canada's Food Policy. ... "This ...
Alzheimer’s memory loss may be reversible, after all
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s affecting patient’s memories could be reversed, new research from MIT indicates. It might be possible to break down the ...
‘Super genes’ protect Arabian Gulf coral reefs from warmer waters — for now
Rising sea temperatures are a main cause of global coral reef bleaching — when the water is too warm, corals ...
‘Tissue paper’ made from organs could repair damage, restore function
Scientists have created paper-like biomaterials from organs such as the ovaries, uterus, heart, liver and muscle that are thin and ...
Video: How are GMO plants made?
How are genetically modified organisms (GMOs) made? Are they safe to eat? Molly heads to the Van Eck Lab at ...
Autism severity and brain size linked to genetic ‘glitch’ that disrupts sociability circuits
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) all have problems socialising, but beyond that their disorders can be vastly different. That ...
Banana wilt, GMOs and Food Evolution: Behind the scenes in Uganda profiling desperate plight of poor farmers
Despite claims by anti-GMO activists who say crop biotechnology mostly benefits big corporations, African farmers and poor people are the ...
