Conversation
Dead or alive? The cosmology of viruses
Viruses are an inescapable part of life, especially in a global viral pandemic. Yet ask a roomful of scientists if ...
Feeling a bit stir crazy during the pandemic lockdown? Blame it on human evolution
Humans are intensely social creatures. We all need company and social contact. But for many of us, being at home ...
From bioterror to bioerror: Who’s afraid of biohacking?
In March, amateur scientists in Sydney announced they had created a COVID-19 test kit that is simpler, faster, and cheaper ...
Coronavirus romance: Is it healthy for isolating couples to have so much together time?
In the wake of COVID-19 social distancing and stay-at-home orders, young couples may find themselves spending more time with each ...
How old is that child? ‘Epigenetic clocks’ could help fight child labor, trafficking and improve age records on immigrant children
Epigenetic clocks are a new type of biological test currently capturing the attention of the scientific community, private companies and ...
‘Bee-washing’ by advocacy groups and product pushers: We should shift the focus to native bees not honeybees
Amid the worry over the loss of honey bees, a far quieter but just as devastating loss is occurring among ...
Plants engineered to ‘recycle’ toxins could boost crop yields nearly 50 percent
Can you imagine the entire population of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom and France going hungry? ...
‘Precision farming’ could slow climate change and unlock $250 billion in profits for farmers
There is a long list of global problems to combat, including hunger, drought, poverty, bad health, polluted water and poor ...
Viewpoint: If organic farmers want to promote sustainable farming they should reconsider hostility toward CRISPR-gene editing
A University of California, Berkeley professor stands at the front of the room, delivering her invited talk about the potential ...
Indoor farms could boost food production, but energy-friendly alternatives exist
By 2050, global food production will need to increase by an estimated 70% in developed countries and 100% in developing countries ...
Resignation of French environmental minister could be a win for glyphosate supporters
The surprise announcement of the resignation of Nicolas Hulot .... is part of .... a series of .... big differences ...
Organic, grass-fed beef: Nutritious food choice or marketing hype?
.... Organic farming and grass feeding are promoted as having some social and environmental benefits compared with conventionally produced red ...
Fighting nature’s ‘computer hackers’ through genetic engineering
[T]hrough thousands of years of genetic modification by selective breeding, humans have developed the crops that keep us alive. We ...
What 3D printing can teach us about how to regulate CRISPR gene editing
Australia’s gene technology regulations have not been revised since 2001- despite many game-changing advances in genetic technologies over the past 17 ...
We’re a long way from Blade Runner-like organic androids
[Editor's note: Fumiya Iida is a lecturer in mechatronics at the University of Cambridge.] The new Blade Runner sequel will return ...
Hive coup? Why queen bees are sometimes killed by workers
[Editor's note: James Gilbert is a lecturer in zoology at the University of Hull.] A new study has shown that some bee workers ...
Lead author of controversial bee study: ‘Don’t give up on neonics’ although they may have ‘subtle’, mitigable effects
[Editor's note: Ben Woodcock is an ecological entomologist at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the UK. He is the ...
Can Netflix help us treat cancer?
[Editor's note: Elana Fertig is a professor of Oncology Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Johns Hopkins University.] To create individualized cancer treatments, we must ...
Searching for Jesus’ DNA: Scientists probe ancient relics
In 2010, Kasimir Popkonstantinov discovered what he believes are the bones of one of the most famous of all saints: ...
How humans got smart: Rush of blood to the head
[Editor's note: Roger Seymour is professor emeritus of physiology at the University of Adelaide.] The blood flow to the cognitive part ...
Leukemia and corn: Treatment may arise from studying mutations in kernels
[Editor's note: Kevin Folta is a molecular biologist and chair of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida.] Recent research ...
Trust the experts: Scientific scrutiny, government oversight show GMOs ‘at least as safe’ as traditional foods
[Editor's note: David Tribe is a senior lecturer in food biotechnology and microbiology, agriculture and food systems, at the University ...
Why do so many people with hereditary cancer risks avoid genetic testing?
Once a person is found to have a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, usually after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, all ...
Is it possible to know too much about your genes?
Would you want to know if you were at a higher risk of getting dementia later in life? Would you ...
On/off switch? Chronic pain could be eased if we identify the right genes
[Editor's note: Blair Smith is a professor of population science at the University of Dundee in Scotland.] Two of the ...
Can GMOs mitigate threats to global food security?
[Editor's note: Stuart Thompson is a senior lecturer in plant biochemistry at the University of Westminster in the UK.] Crops ...
Can personalized medicine help those with chronic diseases that have environmental triggers?
[Editor's note: Sharon Horesh Bergquist is a physician, teacher, researcher in preventive medicine and healthy aging at Emory University] Personalized ...
What factors shape women’s perceptions of GMOs?
[Editor's note: Heather Bray is a senior research associate and Rachel Ankeny is a professor of history, both at the ...
