Science Literacy Project Daily Digest
Off-patent chemistry: Financially strapped American farmers switching to generic crop chemicals
U.S. farmers struggling with slumping incomes and depressed grain prices have been switching to cheaper generic pesticides and fungicides as ...
Viewpoint: We need scalable solutions to meet the surging global demand for food. Here’s why biotechnology is key
According to the United Nations, the world’s population is projected to reach nearly ten billion by 2050.1 Against this backdrop, problems ...
Here’s a visual tour of what makes the human brain distinct from our ape relatives
The human brain isn't just distinguished by its problem-solving abilities. It's also designed to deeply process emotions and social interactions, ...
Less than 1,300—Our human ancestors were on the verge of extinction one million years ago
[A] groundbreaking study published in the journal Science sheds new light on a dramatic event that nearly erased humans from existence ...
Can genetically modified crops co-exist with the rest of agriculture?
Co-existence and containment of genetically modified (GM) plants has been a contentious issue since GM technologies were first commercially released ...
Viewpoint: Regenerative agriculture that does not include the judicious crop chemicals to fight insects and disease is doomed to fall way short
The Noble Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to farm and ranch education, defines regenerative agriculture as “the process of restoring ...
Viewpoint: RFK, Jr. ignites debate over the American diet and the future of meat but his solutions are simplistic and unrealistic
Now that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has kicked off his Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA Commission, food system advocates ...
Does pornography alter your brain?
Statistics show pornography to be commonplace: A 2018 study found that 91.5% of men and 60.2% of women had consumed it ...
Viewpoint: Surging anti-immigration sentiment helps revive America’s eugenicist impulses
In a moment when the experiment of the United States is teetering on the brink, the Trump administration is weaponizing ...
AI race: Can Europe catch up to China and the U.S.?
In October 2024, Jensen Huang, the CEO of AI chipmaker Nvidia, commented that the European Union (EU) lags far behind the U.S ...
Do liberals and conservatives shopping at the supermarket think about food differently? Brain imaging suggests they do
This study examines if the political affiliation of adults who self-identify as Democrat or Republican differs based on brain activity ...
Cancer death rates continue their quarter century decline, but ethnic disparities remain
Progress has been made in reducing overall cancer mortality, largely driven by sustained declines in lung cancer. Cancer mortality declined ...
Viewpoint: Why Europe is greenlighting crop gene editing while it rejected GMOs?
The European Union is yet to adopt a comprehensive legal definition for NGTs [new genomic techniques] . The current understanding ...
‘Super horses’: Newly engineered gene-edited equestrian racers are faster and more agile
[S]cientists are using the technology to improve traits in domestic animals. Argentina’s scientists have recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone in ...
How agricultural drones offer farmers a sustainable edge
Traditional farming tools — big tractors, crop dusters, and lots of human labor — are expensive, inefficient, and hard on ...
EU approved three new GMO corn varieties for import as opposition to genetic engineering eases
In a move that could influence global agricultural policy, the European Commission (EC) has approved the import and use of ...
Convergent evolution: How complex brains developed independently in humans, birds and reptiles
Fernando García-Moreno is an evolutionary and developmental neurobiologist. He says for a long time there's been a debate about how ...
Protein propaganda and expensive pee: Supplement shakes and massive steak consumption have no health benefits and is a waste of money
The nearly ubiquitous social media message is, whoever we are, we need more protein. ... “Whey protein has falsely been ...
(Positive) eugenics is increasingly fashionable — The movement for gene manipulation is soaring among those who can afford it
In the United States, despite more than $1 billion invested in fertility-focused start-ups in the past decade, there is remarkably ...
Anorexia cases in the U.S. have doubled in recent years, and treatments remain elusive
Over 10,000 Americans die from eating disorders every year, according to the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Such prolonged ...
Biotechnology breakthroughs in medicine surge
Biotech breakthroughs are lighting up new ways to care for our health. Researchers are using smart ideas, from gene editing ...
Food and beverage companies are overhauling their brands as RFK, Jr.’s ‘transparency campaign’ escalates
For food and beverage companies, complying with additive bans is no longer just about ticking boxes – it is a ...
Gene editing poised to dramatically improve the sustainability profile of tilapia
Brazilian Fish, one of Brazil’s largest tilapia producers, announced it will use genome editing technology to accelerate genetic improvements in ...
Humans may need to evolve faster than nature intended if civilization hopes to survive. What are our chances?
Throughout most of human history, evolution progressed slowly. Small genetic changes took thousands of years to permeate populations. Natural selection ...
The Longevity Business Is Booming—and Its Scientists Are Clashing”
[Leonard Guarente's pet field of improving human longevity] has moved from the fringes to science’s hot center. It’s drawn billions ...
Viewpoint: Another top NIH food scientist quits, citing RFK, Jr.’s political interference and science censorship
The National Institutes of Health's top researcher on ultra-processed foods announced Wednesday he was stepping down from the agency, accusing ...
Here is the skinny on Lilly’s weight loss pill that could be a blockbuster alternative to Ozempic and other GLP-1 diabetes and weight loss drugs
Orforglipron, developed by Eli Lilly, represents a significant advancement in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Unlike traditional ...
