Harvard Gazette
‘The Arrogant Ape’: A takedown of the human supremacy complex
In the grand story of evolution, the crowning human distinction is our big brain. But our large heads have been ...
Book review: When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows—Stephen on ‘common knowledge’
Common knowledge is something everyone knows that everyone knows. He saw it. She saw it. He knows that she saw ...
What’s the difference between human intelligence and AI? Not very much
The term artificial intelligence renders the sense that what computers do is either inferior to or at least apart from ...
Are there such things as ‘ancestral bloodlines’? Not when you examine the DNA
Human history is rife with contentions about the purity (and superiority) of the bloodlines of one group over another and ...
FaceAge AI uses snapshots to predict biological age and help oncologists tailor treatments
A new artificial intelligence tool developed by researchers at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School uses a snapshot of a patient’s face to ...
‘If our genetic differences are part of what makes us human, do we have the right — or the responsibility — to change them?
With CRISPR technology, scientists can now edit both somatic genes (from the body) and germline genes (from gametes, the sex cells ...
Trying to kick your vaping habit: FDA approves pill that actually works
Teens and young adults who took varenicline — an FDA-approved, twice-daily smoking cessation pill for adults — are more than ...
Plant-based oils: Non-margarine butter substitute could lengthen your life
Substituting butter with plant-based oils daily may lower risk of premature death by up to 17 percent, according to a ...
Comparing endoscopic bariatric procedure to the new weight loss drugs: Which results in a larger weight loss and is more cost-effective?
Interest in the latest generation of weight-loss drugs shows no sign of flagging, but a new study shows that a ...
Canine neuroscience: Exploring what shapes dog personalities
Why do dogs behave so differently, even within their own breeds? Neuroscientist unlocking secrets of canine brain ...
Viewpoint: Beyond marketing — Why claims that “organic = better” do not stand up to scrutiny
Is organic food, grown without synthetic chemicals, healthier than conventionally grown food? Roughly 40 percent of Americans say at least some ...
Using cancer cells to kill tumors? Cell therapy engineered to eliminate and prevent brain cancer in advanced mouse model
Researchers took advantage of living tumor cells' unique ability to travel long distances across the brain to return to the ...
‘We can’t simply innovate our way out of danger’: Can biotechnology and other innovations help soften the blow of climate change?
Can technology save us from the worst effects of climate change? Probably not, reports a new study, “Does Directed Innovation ...
‘Existence of testosterone-based effects should not be an excuse for tolerating aggression, violence, discrimination or other ills’: How the ‘male hormone’ shapes behavior
Testosterone’s wide-reaching effects occur not just in the human body, but across society, powering acts of aggression, violence, and the ...
Revamped CRISPR could be more accurate and effective against human diseases, including sickle cell anemia
CRISPR is not perfect. Base editors (think of them as gene-editing pencils) can rewrite individual DNA letters. They home in ...
CRISPR creator Jennifer Doudna: It’s ‘important that ethical discussions keep pace with technology’
Jennifer Doudna, the gene-editing pioneer whose breakthrough in CRISPR technology has taken the scientific world by storm, expressed surprise [May ...
Brain, gut microbiome connection may play role in multiple sclerosis
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. A team of investigators ...
Drug-delivery DNA cages
Move over, nanotechnologists, and make room for the biggest of the small. Scientists at the Harvard’s Wyss Institute have built ...
Programming genetic code can lead to better designer genes
Reprogramming bacteria to produce proteins for drugs, biofuels, and more, has long been part of the job for bioscientists, but ...
Harvard scientists sequence entire genome from single cell
The notion that police can identify a suspect based on the tiniest drop of blood or trace of tissue has ...
Stem cells need recovery time
A new study describes the mechanism behind impaired muscle repair during aging and a strategy that may help rejuvenate aging ...