Science Literacy Project Daily Digest
Ancestry tests are not to be trusted
The following is an excerpt. Commercial DNA tests claiming to reveal people's ancestors are little better than 'genetic astrology', according to scientists. From ...
Tiny piece of RNA regulates early development
The following is an excerpt. New research shows that a tiny piece of RNA has an essential role in ensuring ...
The genetics of mental illness and the allure of gene-ism
The current reality of mental illness is one of blurred boundaries; new genetic results showing coming ground among several disorders ...
The double standard for Golden Rice
The following is an edited excerpt. When I saw that NPR was doing a story on Golden Rice I was ...
Whole Foods’ business case for GMO labeling
The following is an edited excerpt. Whole Foods pleased many of its shoppers, and most of its critics, when it ...
You wanted GMO food labels? The marketplace is listening
The following is an edited excerpt. It’s a victory for the consumers who worry about genetically engineered foods that Whole ...
The real seeds of deception
The following is an edited excerpt. In October, Dan Charles, NPR’s food and agriculture correspondent, wrote an excellent piece headlined: ...
Resurrecting a forest
The following is an edited excerpt. For the cover story in the April 2013 issue of National Geographic, I explore an ...
We are all “related” to Romans, Vikings, Egyptians and Attila the Hun
The following is an edited excerpt. Genetics researchers say that commercial DNA tests cannot provide accurate stories about personal ancestry ...
Nine things you should know about GMOs
The following is an excerpt. By 2018, you’ll know exactly whether or not your favorite products at Whole Foods have ...
Mark Lynas: truth, treachery and GM food
The following is an excerpt. Mark Lynas spent years destroying genetically modified crops in the name of the environment. Now ...
In defense of crop patents
The following is an excerpt. Patents involving plants are often portrayed as a seriously negative phenomenon. In fact, they play an important ...
Whole Foods to label all genetically modified products by 2018
The following is an excerpt. Whole Foods Market, the supermarket chain known for its organic inventory, said Friday that it ...
Drug-resistant bacteria pose ‘catastrophic threat’
The following is an edited excerpt. The danger of antibiotic resistant bacteria should be placed alongside pandemic influenza and terrorism ...
‘New life’ found in Antarctica’s Lake Vostok
The following is an edited excerpt. There is something alive in Lake Vostok, deep beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet, ...
How type 2 diabetes survived evolution
The following is an edited excerpt. Type 2 diabetes is a major public health crisis in the United States and ...
If your dog is about to die, why not clone it?
The following is an edited excerpt. Insung Hwang's business, according to his website, is "healing broken hearts". Specifically those of ...
Agricultural policies have a huge impact on nutrition
The following is an edited excerpt. India’s efforts to fight malnutrition may not bear fruit unless there is greater focus ...
Japan, seeking non-GM crops, will buy soybeans from Ukraine
The following is an edited excerpt. Japan’s Sojitz Corp. said it will import Ukrainian soybeans for the first time as ...
Anti-GM ad uses Seralini study to try to swing WA vote
The following is an edited excerpt. The TV advertisement linking genetically modified crops to tumours in rats is encouraging people ...
The ethics of reviving species
The following is an excerpt. Stewart Brand, long-time environmentalist turned techno-enthusiast, shares a knack for publicity with George Church, the ...
Editorial: Pass the food labeling bill
The following is an edited excerpt. Harm from consuming genetically modified foods is well down our list of human health ...
New stem cell is potential “earthquake” for therapies
The following is an excerpt. A new type of stem cell, discovered by UCSF researchers, may open new possibilities for ...
New technology can turn off genes more precisely
The following is an excerpt. Scientists at UC San Francisco have found a more precise way to turn off genes, a ...
Mice ‘cured’ of lung cancer with gene therapy
The following is an excerpt. Mice with up to 200 tumours have been completely cured of lung cancer using a ...
Routine genomic screening for improved health
The following is an excerpt. In ten years time, routine preventive health care for adults may include genetic testing alongside ...
