Science
Can we engineer soldiers to be immune to chemical attacks?
Despite international bans, some countries, such as Syria, use deadly nerve agents against enemy soldiers and civilians. Existing treatments for these ...
Virus used to deliver gene therapy treatments may increase liver cancer risk, study suggests
Just as gene therapy finally seems to be living up to its promise, a study has revived a lingering worry ...
Gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna calls for greater accountability on anniversary of China scientist CRISPR gene editing human embryo
There are key moments in the history of every disruptive technology that can make or break its public perception and ...
How old is your dog in human years? This calculator promises more accurate estimate, using epigenetics
Our Scotch collie, Buckaroo, is just shy of 14 years old. Following the long-debunked but still popular idea that one ...
Why the public’s limited understanding of science makes horror movies so terrifying
In a memorable scene from the 1931 horror classic Frankenstein, Dr. Frankenstein stands over his sentient monster, a beast he created from ...
Science journals should publish negative results to speed technological advances, CRISPR expert urges
Near the end of April, my colleagues and I published an unusual scientific paper — one reporting a failed experiment ...
‘Turning electrons into chemicals’: Scientists seek alternatives to oil-based manufacturing processes
Black, gooey, greasy oil is the starting material for more than just transportation fuel. It's also the source of dozens ...
Using CRISPR to improve accuracy of cancer-fighting drugs
Cancer drug developers may be missing their molecular targets—and never knowing it. Many recent drugs take aim at specific cell ...
Podcast: Plagiarism, data fabrication in science threaten public health. Meet one biologist who’s fighting back
Scientific misconduct is a serious problem in academia today. High-profile examples of data fabrication, falsification or plagiarism often generate lots ...
Behavior goes ‘haywire’: How strep throat may trigger OCD, anxiety in children
[Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections, or PANDAS] is as puzzling for researchers as it is for the ...
‘Huge step’ for synthetic biology: CRISPR upgrade allows editing of larger genome fragments ‘with ease’
Imagine a word processor that allowed you to change letters or words but balked when you tried to cut or ...
Why we may never know the fate—good or bad—of China’s controversial CRISPR babies
Since the gene-edited babies known as Lulu and Nana became international news in November 2018, scientific debate and media speculation ...
‘Brute-force approach’ to CRISPR innovation: China stakes out global leadership role developing medical treatments, transplantable organs, quality meat
China now has at least four groups of CRISPR researchers doing gene editing with large colonies of monkeys. “The most ...
Viewpoint: Stem cell therapies have potential, but commercial industry is ‘still shady, full of hype’
In case anyone was wondering, the commercial stem cell clinic business is still shady and full of hype, profiteering, and ...
Why genetic testing poses new legal perils for doctors
While DNA testing upends the practice of medicine, U.S. laws aren’t keeping pace. That’s one message from a nearly finished ...
Viewpoint: Why we can’t seem to bridge the gulf that divides pro- and anti-GMO forces
The opposition to GMOs is based not on scientific evidence, but on personal values and ideology. In effect, the two ...
Doctors face ‘wrenching questions’ about genetic testing and legal risks. Do we need new laws?
As DNA testing gallops ahead, doctors face wrenching questions about legal risks, protecting patients’ privacy, and the quality of the ...
Can genetic engineering save the world’s coral reefs from climate change?
The relentless rise of global temperatures is imperiling coral reefs around the world. Just 75 kilometers offshore from the research ...
Challenging the notion that people with ‘dark personalities’ are more successful
The dark side of human personality has long fascinated the public and psychologists alike. Research has linked unpleasant traits such ...
Did medieval Black Death reach as far as sub-Saharan Africa?
[S]ome researchers point to new evidence from archaeology, history, and genetics to argue that the Black Death likely did sow ...
There’s a war on ‘prediabetes’ and why that may be bad medicine
In medicine, prevention is usually an unalloyed good. But in this case, other diabetes specialists argue, medical and epidemiological data ...
Has genetic analysis identified Jack the Ripper?
Forensic scientists say they have finally fingered the identity of Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer who terrorized the ...
Can this pill protect us against ‘wide range’ of flu viruses?
The flu season is at its height in the Northern Hemisphere, but—as many are discovering—seasonal flu vaccines don’t always provide ...
Whispering down the ‘fake news’ lane targeting conventional farming: No, Lou Gehrig’s Disease not caused by pesticides spread by chemical-spraying airplanes
Is it sensationalism to get traffic, lazy reporting -- or intentional misrepresentation of facts? ...
Research integrity, and why bad science in biomedicine and agriculture has become such a problem
Science depends on corroboration — that is, researchers verify others’ results, often making incremental advances as they do so. The ...
Science and religion: Why ‘needless hostility’ could be hampering scientific discovery
I am no apologist for religion. As a psychologist, I believe that the scientific method provides the best tools with ...
Was life on Earth sparked by ‘moon-sized’ impact 4.4 billion years ago?
A cataclysm may have jump-started life on Earth. A new scenario suggests that some 4.47 billion years ago—a mere 60 ...
