Genetic Literacy Project
When is a ‘modified organism’ a GMO?
Where is the threshold between natural "involvement" and unnatural "interference" when using technology to improve our food? ...
Is epigenetics being exploited by the media?
Epigenetics has seen a flurry of research and headlines lately, achieving science-buzzword status. But is the immature nature of the ...
Africa on GMOs: Scientific response to anti-technology NGOs
More than half of the acreage of genetically modified crops in the world is in the developing world, where the ...
Information-rich society drains our brains of creativity if we don’t take needed breaks
Creativity, argues neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, requires mental downtown for ideas and connections to bubble up out of our knowledge base ...
How ancient humans can help us better understand ourselves
For 200,000 years, modern humans have walked the earth. How did we become what we are today? In answering this ...
Brain breakthrough: Genome-wide association studies herald advances in treating mental disorders
Nothing is more challenging to science, or potentially more heartbreaking, than mental illness. The human brain remains inscrutable. But recent ...
Infographic: 9 plant diseases that threaten your favorite foods–and how GM can help
Nature is relentless, challenging farmers with weeds, insects and diseases. With global food needs skyrocketing as the population and prosperity ...
Did the Hobbit have Down syndrome?
Was H. floresiensis aka the Hobbit really a different species of ancient hominid? Or, as a new study may indicate, ...
Got soy? Consumer Reports drives off anti-science, anti-GMO cliff savaging conventional soy milk
Are you one of the millions of people who enjoy soy milk as an alternative to the dairy variety? Well, ...
Does Nicholas Wade’s ‘A Troublesome Inheritance’ focus on ‘race’ inaccurately portray human differences?
A new book by Nicholas Wade is being condemned by scientists, who claim that it paints a false picture of ...
Your brain is making subliminal, near-instantaneous judgements of people based on their faces
Your brain is making a snap judgement on the trustworthiness of each stranger you see based on their faces -- ...
Monsanto in the anti-GMO crosshairs: Fair or foul?
Monsanto is regularly targeted by anti-GMO activists as 'the world's most evil corporation' and a danger to global food independence ...
Taking ancestry into account with personalized medicine
A study of Mexican genetics reveals staggering diversity. In an increasingly globalized world, with human populations mixing at unprecedented rates, ...
GM crops could replace fish as source of omega-3 fatty acids
The first camelina crops genetically modified to produce seeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids will soon be harvested following a ...
Only need four hours of sleep per night? New-found ‘Thatcher’ gene mutation may explain why
Do you have a friend who can get by on just a few hours of sleep without any ill effects? ...
Cancer genomes to enter private practice
New technology promises quick turn around for cancer genome testing, but do we understand tumor DNA well enough to capitalize? ...
GMO tobacco ‘mystery serum’ rescues Ebola virus victims
Two American healthcare workers infected with Ebola virus in Liberia received an experimental antibody serum created with genetically engineered tobacco ...
Unapproved GM rice for sale discovered in Chinese supermarkets
An investigative report by China's state broadcaster Central China Television recently exposed the illegal sales of unapproved genetically modified rice ...
10,000 hours of practice leads to mastery? That’s not what our genes say.
Talent, as encoded in our genes, may mean more than practice when it comes to mastery. Identical twins who practiced ...
How much of human DNA is doing something?
How much of the human genome is functional? Depends on what you mean by "functional." Two studies that seem to ...
Some kids un-develop autism. Could their genes be responsible?
Scientists are focusing attention on a group of autistic children who improve so much they essentially outgrow the diagnosis. Although ...
Video: Neil deGrasse Tyson says ‘chill out’ to activists: GMOs perfectly safe
Beloved Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson emphatically defends GMO foods in a recently unearthed old video, sparking responses all over ...
Y chromosome here to stay; ‘Death of Men’ has been greatly exaggerated
Over the last year, some headlines have claimed that the Y chromosome -- a genetic wasteland which is until recently ...
Athletes and gay men: Behavioral genetics reveals puzzle pieces, not prophecy
Every day we are told of a new link between our genes and behavior, from sports to sexuality. How should ...
Looking for a few DNA needles in a million haystacks in the hunt for disease cures
The Resilience Project wants to find people with genes that should cause extremely rare diseases, but who never developed the ...
Talking about genetic disorders: How much information do we need—or want?
It may be easy to dismiss appeals to scientific literacy as high-minded, idealistic and impractical; but geneticist Morgan Thompson believes ...
Surrogacy is global business, but loose laws leave murky situation for all involved
Demand and affordability have forced many potential parents to seek surrogacy through international clinics in India, Thailand and Mexico. But ...
Can we regulate gene editing without killing it?
CRISPR and other gene-editing methods, plus gene drives, are suddenly here and now. They offer unprecedented possibilities for genetic modification ...
