Emily Willingham
Articles written specifically for the GLP or the articles that are reposted from other sources (sometimes in modified form) with permission list the source as Genetic Literacy Project. Excerpted articles list the original media outlet as the source. Excerpts are posted under guidelines for Fair Use and Creative Commons for educational nonprofits (501c3). The GLP’s Fair Use policy for posting excerpts and using images is explained here.
Were self awareness and the ability to plan what set us apart from Neanderthals?
We bear a trace of Neandertal legacy in our genome, a bequest from ancestral interbreeding. But some experts argue that, ...
How ancient humans ‘self-domesticated’ their own faces to appear more friendly
One hypothesis for how humans transitioned from developing a robust Neandertal visage in maturity to retaining finer features throughout life ...
Why is it so hard to think straight when you’re tired? Here’s what’s going on in your brain
Most of us could use more sleep. We feel it in our urge for an extra cup of coffee and ...
Women’s sex drive can be boosted with testosterone. Long-term risks need to be studied.
An absence of desire is not an inevitable facet of aging for women, [endocrinologist Susan] Davis says. There’s a name ...
Do participants in genetics research studies have the right to know—or not know—about troubling DNA results?
Is it possible to know too much about our own genetic profile? ...
Artificial intelligence could have a future diagnosing sick children, study says
With the money and time that visits to the ER and urgent care soak up, the chance to revisit old-fashioned ...
Can this ancient plant-based hallucinogen lead to new diabetes treatment?
For centuries, some indigenous groups in South America have relied on a brew made from the parts of a local ...
Repairing paralysis? ‘Growth cocktail’ shows promise for severed nerves
[R]esearchers have coaxed nerve cells to span the divide of a complete spinal cord injury. Their findings, described August 29 in Nature, ...
Could studying rare Parkinson’s mutation help treat other cases?
A handful of gene mutations are linked to inherited PD, but they account for less than 15 percent of the ...
Schizophrenia, depression, biopolar disorder share ‘overlapping’ mutations
Is lower academic achievement in early life tied to the same gene changes as an increased risk for Alzheimer’s in ...
Viewpoint: It’s time to stop drawing links between mercury and autism
[Editor's note: Emily Willingham is a science writer and co-author of The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four ...
No, you did not inherit your intelligence from your mother’s genes
The premise of [a post from Second Nexus is] that science has traced “intelligence genes” to the X chromosome and ...
Multiple studies, with and without conflicts of interest, find no glyphosate in breast milk
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. The herbicide glyphosate does not ...
Deepak Chopra alert: Psychologists assess your bullshit detecting senses
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. In what may well ...
Proper training for scientists will allow FOIA to coexist with science communication
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. . . . Researchers ...
Oliver Sacks’ greatest legacy: Understanding those who are ‘different’
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Oliver Sacks died August ...
Genes for enjoying speed protective against ADHD and schizophrenia
A euphoric response to amphetamine could signal the presence of gene variants associated with protection against attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ...
Neanderthal link to fat metabolism in the brain
Modern humans of European descent have a lot in common with their Neanderthal ancestors when it comes to genes related ...
How to concoct a conspiracy theory about vaccines, GMOs, climate science and other controversial issues
A case study. 1. Find something online that is related to your subject. 2. Cherry-pick partial quotes that seem to support your position (here, ...
Genetically engineered tomatoes squashed?
After using modern techniques to develop and test tomatoes for desired qualities, researchers will turn to more conventional hybrid breeding ...
Science and GMOs are not the bad guys here
Blogger Beth Hoffman, who is like me a Forbes contributor, tells us in a garbled polemic against genetically modified (GM) foods that, ...
NYTimes’ “Autism’s Unexpected Link to Cancer Gene”: an old story, made murky
It’s not news that disrupting a gene for tumor-suppressing proteins can result in non-cancer effects on many body systems, including ...
Genetically modified RNA scare seems bogus
A molecule as unstable as RNA likely couldn't even make it past our digestive system ...
Alleged danger of GE not looking very real
The following is an edited excerpt. Once upon a time, a food writer triggered a storm of scientific scorn when ...
UK, Kenya, China: doing the GMO two-step
Gotta love the candor of UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who reportedly called consumer opposition to genetically modified (GM) food ...
Seralini paper to blame for Kenya’s GMO ban
Seralini Paper Influences Kenya Ban of GMO ImportsForbesBags containing 'MON 810', a variety of genetically modified maize (corn) developed by ...
