Genetic Literacy Project
Genetic Literacy Project’s Top 6 Stories for the Week – Dec. 18, 2017
Canola oil causes Alzheimer’s? How the media mis-covers science, feeds NGO misinformation and scares the public | Kevin Folta Viewpoint: Why ...
What differentiates humans from chimps: Differing DNA or different expression of similar genes
Scientists have found genetic changes that make brains bigger and may help explain why we are so different from chimpanzees ...
To protect vineyards from pests and reduce pesticide use, CRISPR could be the answer
The powdery mildew fungus decimates vineyards around the globe. As pesticides become less effective, some scientists are turning to gene ...
Canola oil causes Alzheimer’s? How the media mis-covers science, feeds NGO misinformation and scares the public
Sensationalist press coverage fueled by a poorly written university press release misled the public about a recent study on mice—a ...
Molecular clocks rewriting the story of human evolution
Analyzing DNA from present-day and ancient genomes provides a complementary approach for dating evolutionary events. By comparing DNA sequences, geneticists ...
Viewpoint: Why so many scientific studies are flawed and poorly understood
With misleading conclusions often reported from scientific research, it's important to be able to discern between legitimate studies and dubious ...
Viewpoint: If your interest is sustainability, organic and GMO labels won’t inform you
Focusing on tools and technologies—such as genetic engineering—can reduce agriculture's environmental footprint and promote sustainability, writes geneticist Maria Trainer ...
Double standard? Facing FOIA demand, California sides with anti-chemical professor, blocking email release
Why did the University of California reject a Freedom of Information request for an "anti-chemical" professor's emails, while handing over ...
Gene therapy challenge: How much should it cost and how do we pay for it?
When evaluating the high prices of one-time gene therapy treatments, should we look to the costs of organ transplants when ...
Talking Biotech: How will dicamba herbicide-resistant GMO crops fare after contamination fiasco?
Agronomist Karen Corrigan: Companies, farmers, and weed scientists should focus more on solutions to dicamba drift issues and less on ...
Organic movement schism? Fight over hydroponics puts $50 billion industry in limbo
The USDA's ruling that crops grown using hydroponics and aquaculture can be labeled organic set off a heated debate over ...
Chasing a cure for narcolepsy—and why it should be a priority
For the first 20 years of his life, Henry Nicholls had a healthy relationship with sleep. Shortly after his 21st ...
Genetic Literacy Project’s Top 6 Stories for the Week – Dec. 11, 2017
Viewpoint: 12 ways organic activists mislead consumers | David Zaruk How anti-biotech environmental groups are trying to kill roll-out of AquaBounty’s sustainable ...
Why all identical twins who are overweight are not identically obese
Identical twins have the same genomes, but they don't always look exactly the same, particularly in regards to weight. Science ...
‘Big Ag’ may resonate with activists, but what does it really mean?
For some, GMOs are synonymous with 'Big Ag'? For others, 'Big Ag' means something entirely different. Does 'Big Ag' even ...
Viewpoint: Anti-GMO scare tactics show need for scientific literacy
Many of the arguments made by organic supporters and GMO critics aren't supported by science. That combination can have harmful ...
Viewpoint: 12 ways organic activists mislead consumers
Does the organic food industry use deceptive marketing practices to scare wealthy customers away from conventional agriculture and GMOs? The ...
Turning night owls into early birds? It may soon be possible
The discovery of a genetic mutation linked to night owl behavior raises the prospect of a drug treatment that would ...
How anti-biotech environmental groups are trying to kill roll-out of AquaBounty’s sustainable salmon
If you love Atlantic salmon, what you are eating is almost certainly farm-raised, despite what the label might say. The ...
Talking Biotech: How will agricultural-biotech seed company mergers impact farmers and sustainability?
French researcher Sylvie Bonny: Some worry that corporate consolidation will raise seed prices and hurt farmers, while others believe mergers ...
Anatomy of the demon Demogorgon from ‘Stranger Things’: Is there a real-life counterpart?
The Demogorgon, a creature from the hit Netflix show 'Stranger Things', resembles real life cellular slime mold ...
Genetic Literacy Project’s Top 6 Stories for the Week – Dec. 4, 2017
EU re-approval of glyphosate herbicide dodges farming economic woes—for now | Andrew Porterfield Have humans or any of Earth's creatures stopped evolving? | David ...
What foods have pesticide residues? When do the chemical traces pose dangers?
Dosage and length of exposure determines whether a compound actually produces toxic effects and could lead to such diseases as ...
Kissing cousins: Understanding the genetic risks and benefits when close relatives marry
Endogamy––the marriage of relatives––is a controversial cultural practice. It can play surprising roles in health and disease ...
Viewpoint: Zen Honeycutt’s ‘inexcusable’ attack on orange growers betrays science
Activist group Moms Across America, run by someone with zero scientific training, makes a living attacking farmers and scientists that ...
Brain addiction: Why stopping drug use is so difficult
Drug addiction is a commonly misunderstood disease. Once addicted, it’s not only about pleasure seeking or choice, but chemical reactions ...
Synaesthesia: For those who lose their sight, colors can have sound
Vanessa Potter lost her sight. As she recovered, her senses mingled – hearing and touch changed the way she saw ...
Viewpoint: Anti-biotech groups’ master plan substitutes ‘citizen science’ for data in quest to get glyphosate banned
The European Union resisted the lobbying of organic and anti-biotech groups to renew authorization of glyphosate, although only for five ...