Top 6
Viewpoint: As concerns about plastic pollution in the ocean mount, there is a yet untapped solution — genetically-engineered bacteria that “eat” plastic. Will activists and the government block it?
Spain’s northern coast has been fighting a months-long assault from a ‘white tide’ of plastic pellets dumped by a Dutch-registered ...
Filling the gaps of what we know about the first days and weeks of the developing human embryo
Several recent reports are filling in the gaps of what we know about the earliest days and weeks of human ...
Viewpoint: Nobel laureates and 1,000 other scientists plead with European parliamentarians to ‘reject the darkness of anti-science fearmongering’ over gene editing
As the European Parliament prepares for a key vote on gene editing regulations next week, an open letter signed by 35 Nobel ...
How the FDA decimated the entire biotech sector of genetically engineered animals — and what needs to be done to revive it
In part 1, we learned that avian flu is killing birds globally in record numbers, has crossed the species barrier ...
Regulatory death march: As the avian flu crosses the species barrier and targets animals and humans, a gene editing solution is in focus. Here’s why it’s unlikely US regulators will embrace the moment
Avian influenza is surging again, but with an even deadlier twist: the scourge that has led to hundreds of millions ...
African scientists challenge activist claims that crop biotechnology revolution spreading across Africa threatens continent’s plant biodiversity
Do genetically modified (GM) pose a threat to the Africa’s plant biodiversity? ...
Effort to rescue the almost-extinct American chestnut tree hits a snag, as rift develops between major sponsoring organizations over gene-editing techniques
The American Chestnut Foundation, a nonprofit where [Jared] Westbrook is director of science, has poured years of work into a ...
Dissecting claims about Monsanto suing farmers for accidentally planting patented seeds
Much to the dismay of anti-GMO activists, courts around the world including SCOTUS have consistently upheld the rights of companies ...
Race, gender and science: Should positionality statement ‘identity biographies’ be mandatory on science research papers?
In Defense of Universalism in Science In a November article in Science magazine, journalist Rachael Zamzow informs us that many ...
Does the recently approved Novavax COVID vaccine offer any unique benefits?
Erin Kissane, a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project, rolled up her sleeve for the Novavax covid-19 vaccine in mid-October ...
Viewpoint: Never heard of the Heartland Health Research Alliance? Here’s how the organic- and tort-lawyer funded sham research center generates disinformation about glyphosate and other farm chemicals
Where would science be if an influential institute today was established by tort lawyers to produce research solely for use ...
Can coffee drinking prevent COVID infection?
Coffee has undergone a dramatic rehabilitation since it was designated as a “possible” bladder carcinogen by the International Agency for ...
Newest Alzheimer’s drug slows disease — but costs over $25,000 per year. Who will pay for it?
The first drug purporting to slow the advance of Alzheimer’s disease is likely to cost the U.S. health care system ...
Glyphosate can harm pregnant women living near farms? Carelessly-written article based on the same authors’ more sober academic study shows how misinformation metastasizes
Authors claim glyphosate “health concerns”- but what do the data actually say? ...
Are pesticide residues on food something to worry about?
Just like anything that goes into your body, it’s the dose (the amount) that matters ...
‘Warrior gene’: Some people may be genetically wired for aggressiveness. Can we—should we—do something about it?
“Some people have real problems right out of the starting block. We can't dodge the responsibility for social action." ...
Will England emerge as a world innovator in gene-edited crops?
Brexit has been a disaster for the UK. It has not spurred the great economic revival that many of the ...
A llama-inspired way to protect crops
Most of us will never see a live llama except at a zoo unless we have an opportunity to travel ...
How RFK, Jr.’s science disinformation machine rolls on despite so many debunking articles (like this one)
The presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a reminder of the insidious imbalance of conspiracy theories: They are always ...
Pesticides and Food: It’s not a black or white issue — Has pesticide use decreased since the introduction of GMO crops?
What is the truth about crop pesticides and their residues in food in 2018? ...
Viewpoint: Perversity activism — How European anti-biotechnology NGOs end up promoting commodity-crop farming, consolidating the seed market and undermining sustainability
One of the most attractive advantages of NGTs is the low cost of entry for innovators. Labs in developing countries ...
Pathological science: How can we know whether today’s ‘junk science’ will remain ridiculous or someday be vindicated?
Today, there is simply too much known in far too many diverse fields for any person to hold it all ...
Viewpoint: Activists shift tactics on glyphosate, attacking independent European science-oversight agencies that have unanimously found the herbicide safe
Glyphosate ate the world! Every single day another serious disease, from all types of cancer to Parkinson’s, is attributed to ...
Feline evolution: How house cats and humans domesticated each other
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go on safari in southern Africa. One of the greatest thrills ...
Here’s the straight poop about fecal transplants
Fecal transplants carry a certain ick factor for many people. But there is a legitimate medical use for them -- ...
Analysis: Do neonicotinoid and glyphosate pesticides threaten bees? A reassessment
"The honeybee is in no way endangered. If there’s a top ten list of what’s killing honey bee colonies, I’d ...
Headlines claim that almost half of all drinking water contains high-levels of ‘dangerous’ PFAS ‘forever chemicals’. What does the science say?
The headline “New Study Finds PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water from 45% of Faucets Across US” led many news ...
