Futurism
Live to 150? AI suggests it’s possible, but not without clearing huge ‘hurdles’
[Scientist Alex Zhavoronkov] firmly believes that aging research is the most important field of science right now. In the past, ...
Are we alone in the universe? ‘There is a pretty decent chance’
In the past, experts trying to make sense of the Fermi Paradox have looked to the Drake Equation to put a numeric ...
Here’s how we can defend ourselves against bioweapons
It may only be a matter of time before synthetic biology, such as weaponized pathogens, finds its way into a ...
Does CRISPR cause unintended mutations? Not in this monkey study
CRISPR is still new, and no one really knows its potential side effects. Does it cause cancer? How about unintended mutations? To get ...
Tester beware: Deleting your genetic data is ‘essentially impossible’
[Bloomberg journalist] Kristen V. Brown sent her spit to at least three different companies over the years. She went around ...
Is gene therapy the answer to spinal cord injuries?
Here’s the thing about the spinal cord: you’ve only got one. And right now, if you injure it, doctors can’t ...
Viewpoint: Why turning down 23andMe’s genetic testing was right for separated immigrant families
23andMe offered to genetically test undocumented migrants. Fortunately, some smart people said “no, thanks.” ... RAICES Texas, one of the ...
Artificial intelligence that can predict the future—or at least a small piece of it
There’s an artificial intelligence system that can peer into the future and anticipate what you’re about to do. … [F]ortune-telling ...
CRISPR legal battle front: UC Berkeley wins pair of patents
There’s been a legal battle going on to determine which of the scientists whose research led to CRISPR’s discovery gets ...
Major human CRISPR trial derailed by FDA—at least for now
You’ve heard it before: CRISPR has the potential to change our lives for the better. But first, we have to give it ...
Are you a human or a dog? Some consumer DNA tests don’t seem to know the difference
A Chicago-based NBC station sent one reporter’s DNA to a handful of home DNA tests to compare the results. And just for ...
Gene editing and a new age of athletic cheating
Think cheaters never prosper? Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times. Manny Ramirez won two World Series championships ...
‘One-time CRISPR vaccination’? Researchers target disorder linked to heart disease
Some people have a naturally occurring mutation in a gene called ANGPTL3, which plays a role in the regulation of ...
Regulatory, ethical issues muddy the waters around advanced reproductive technologies
In November 2017, a baby named Emma Gibson was born in the state of Tennessee. Her birth, to a 25-year-old ...
Esophageal cancer treated with risky modified T-cell therapy in China
Esophageal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in China. Like many other types, cancer of the esophagus ...
4 common myths about the supposed advantages of organic foods over GMOs
Myth 1: Organic Food Is Safer Because It Doesn’t Touch Pesticides “The levels we are exposed to are far, far ...
5 ways CRISPR will revolutionize the future
1. CRISPR Could Correct The Genetic Errors That Cause Disease. [...] In summer 2017, scientists at the Oregon Health and Science University used CRISPR ...
Food Evolution director: Organic, natural food industries use misinformation and fear to sell products
You’ve probably heard the same conversation, in one way or another, for years: Some say genetically modified organisms (GMO) are ...
Treating spinal cord injuries by genetically modifying cells that help us smell
Researchers from the University of Bristol have just shared the promising results of a new treatment for spinal cord injuries that could ...
Spy plants? DARPA working on genetically engineered surveillance sensors
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the think-tank that’s under the U.S. Department of Defense, recently announced that it’s ...
Fighting Zika: Gene edited, 3-eyed flightless mosquitoes
[I]n an effort to demonstrate how gene editing could be used to eradicate the mosquito species Aedes aegypti —a major carrier of ...
11 things CRISPR gene editing has helped us achieve this year
The CRISPR//Cas9 gene editing tool has quickly earned a reputation as a revolutionary technology, and its merits support the clout ...
Age-related macular degeneration may be treatable using viral injection gene therapy
[R]esearchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine were looking for ways to treat a particular type of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) known as a wet ...
Inheritance of epigenetic modifications observed through 14 generations in roundworms
To a degree, our lineage dictates how our genes are expressed, how we look, age, and live. However, a recent study ...
Can quantum mechanics explain human consciousness?
Despite all the research we’ve done, we still know relatively little about how the human brain works, and we know ...
When two parents lack the DNA for a healthy baby, can a third person help?
The long-held belief that we get half our genes from our father and the other half from our mother may ...
On the horizon: Genes pointing to potential Parkinson’s disease therapies
The ongoing revolution in genetics is playing an increasingly important role in our understanding of the [Parkinson's] disease while also revealing ...
Infographic: Explore the future of genetic engineering and food
The first genetically engineered apple, Arctic Apple, a modified variety of Golden Delicious, hit stores in test markets in the ...
