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.
Cannabis and anxiety: Some people self medicate while others claim it causes more problems. What does the latest research say?
A study of cannabis users suffering from anxiety found that they reported reductions in anxiety over the study period ...
Viewpoint: Will RFK Jr.’s anti-vax beliefs thwart his run for presidency?
Robert Kennedy Jr. is obsessed with the notion that vaccines cause autism, particularly that thimerosal, causes autism ...
‘We are machines—but astoundingly complex ones’: Philosopher Daniel Dennett on how human consciousness evolved
Daniel Dennett believed that we are, in a sense, machines—but astoundingly complex ones, the result of millions of years of ...
Controversial party drug MDMA poised for FDA approval to treat PTSD
The FDA is poised to approve the notorious party drug as a therapy. Here’s what it means, and where similar ...
Auto-brewery syndrome: The woman who was drunk all the time but never took a sip of alcohol
Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare condition in which bacteria & fungus in the gastrointestinal tract turn the carbohydrates in food ...
Ideological censorship: Professor Alan Sokal on why Nature and other publications should get out of the social justice business and back to science
A scientist’s political and social values should be put to the side to reach objectively true conclusions when evaluating evidence ...
Viewpoint: Seven reasons to say no to genetically modified humans
Ending experiments that engineer the traits of future children, who will then pass on those altered genes and traits ...
Oxford University shuts down Elon Musk’s favored transhumanist institute, a leader in the ‘effective altruism’ movement
Nick Bostrom’s Future of Humanity Institute closed this week in what Swedish-born philosopher says was ‘death by bureaucracy’ ...
What can Chesapeake Bay tell us about how and when humans first made it to the Americas?
The story of the first Americans has long been a matter of public and scientific fascination, undergirded at times by ...
Can you beat the house in sports wagering? Some people think AI might be your best bet
Advanced artificial intelligence is already changing the face of professional sports. AI-generated analytics and algorithms can more precisely track such metrics as ...
1 in 9: More than 10% of US children are diagnosed with ADHD, as surge that began in 2016 continues
Diagnoses of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have surged in the United States over the last several years, according to a new ...
Nuance needed: Teen social media use has positive influences as well
Researchers, media and politicians all tend to focus on the negative aspects of social media, according to psychologist and researcher ...
Why this endangered horseshoe crab species is drained of blue blood to save human lives
Horseshoe crabs’ special blue blood is drained and used to test whether vaccines and medicines are dangerous ...
Criminals want quick gains. Here’s how AI is making their life easier
Generative AI provides a new, powerful tool kit that allows malicious actors to work far more efficiently and internationally ...
Wegovy and Ozempic: How do GLP-1 weight-loss drugs work?
Here’s a primer on Ozempic and other popular drugs being widely used for diabetes, weight loss, and obesity ...
Cockroaches: How a South Asian vermin unexpectedly conquered the world
A ubiquitous household pest has unexpected origins. A cockroach that lives in human dwellings all over the world is known ...
How long can you expect to keep the weight off after you stop taking Ozempic or Wegovy?
Research shows that Wegovy users receiving weekly injections can keep the weight off for up to four years ...
Our brains have gotten smaller over the last 100,000 years. What’s going on?
The brains of modern humans are around 13% smaller than those of Homo sapiens who lived 100,000 years ago ...
Genetic engineering to fight malaria: Oxitec-bred non-biting mosquitoes altered to carry a gene that kills deadly females before maturity released in Djibouti
Tens of thousands of (GMO) mosquitoes have been released in Djibouti to stop the spread of an invasive species that ...
What makes humans great long distance runners?
Endurance running when hunting for game shows that it may be just as efficient as other more traditional hunting methods ...
A new start on life: Deaf 18-month-old Opal is youngest child to have hearing restored by gene therapy
Baby from England, is the youngest child to come close to “normal hearing levels” in a gene therapy trial to ...
Darwinian survival guide: Evolutionary biologist gives his advice in the face of disruptive climate change
Adaption of humanity: An evolutionary biologist and a science fiction writer walk into a bar... and mull over survival ...
‘I’m being discriminated against based on the genes I was born with’: Should insurance companies have access to genetic screening which can predict your likelihood of getting costly diseases?
As genetic testing becomes more widespread, some insurance companies are eager to access people’s results ...
Understanding stress: Hormone cortisol has a dicey reputation — but is it damaging as many people think?
Endocrinologists say people don’t need to be concerned about their cortisol levels or so-called “adrenal fatigue,” ...
Video: A squid with blinding high-beam lights? This adaptation helps this deep-ocean predator hunt down prey
The Dana squid has all the tools of a top ocean predator, including a pair of "headlights" it flashes at ...
More fertile years ahead: Are women on an evolutionary path toward delaying menopause well into their 50s?
In recent decades, people around the world, especially in wealthy, developed countries, have been starting their families later and later ...
Your genes might raise chances of having a heart attack during this presidential election year
People with high stress, along with anxiety or depression, are more susceptible to cardiac arrest, researchers found ...
