Meredith Knight
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Free-floating RNA and sperm might be pathway for epigenetics
Scientists find that sperm can potentially carry RNA from the body's cells to offspring. Is this finally evidence of a ...
Canada seeks to keep genetic data private from health insurers
Canada has no legislation barring insurers from requesting genetic testing information when customers apply for policies. The government is urging ...
Genes and learning: Will early reading really make a difference?
New guidelines from pediatrics organization advise parents to begin reading to children just after birth. But evidence is inconclusive that ...
False positives and false promises for Alzheimer’s disease
A recent study claims to predict Alzheimer's disease with just a blood test. But analysis of the reported statistics show ...
Patient with nasal tissue tumor illustrates unknowable side effects of stem cells
A patient at a Portuguese hospital had a nasal tissue tumor removed from the site of an eight-year-old stem cell ...
Industry awaits FDA ruling on ‘generic’ versions of biologically derived drugs
Patents for a huge class of drugs, biologics, derived using biological techniques, will start expiring in the next few years ...
Sherpas inherited ability to thrive in high altitudes from extinct humans
A new study shows that Nepalese people who live at high altitudes have a gene variant inherited from human’s ancient ...
Anti-GMO advocates try to scare diabetics off life-saving genetically engineered drug treatment
Usually food-obsessed anti-GMO advocates have turned their sights toward one of modern technology’s must prized successes: genetically engineered synthetic human ...
Under guise of ‘free market’, stem cell start ups take sick patients for risky rides
Some companies are marketing stem cell therapies to sick patients long before they've proven them safe or effective while governmental ...
Turning foe friendly: Domestication of infectious disease
With the shortage of antibiotics and resistant infections on the rise, evolutionary biologists might provide alternative for curbing infections disease ...
What to do when medical genetic screening reveals unexpected parent
When children's genes are analyzed to understand medical conditions, "incidental" information about parents can be revealed. The medical community has ...
Power to edit who you are
Gene editing in humans will soon become a treatment reality. But how will society determine which conditions deserve this treatment ...
Pace of reproductive technology makes health effects hard to measure
Over the past 34 years, assisted reproduction like IVF has gone from exceptional to mainstream. The procedures have changed rapidly, ...
Little Lord Kahn and the edge of genome technology
An infant born earlier this month is the first known child to have his genome sequenced before birth. As more ...
US has homegrown stem cell controversy
Boston-based stem cell researcher Piero Anverza is under formal investigation after retracting prominent papers on stem cells and heart disease ...
Oxytocin may be secret hormone that fights aging
Oxytocin is best known for its role as a crucial human bonding hormone. A new study suggests it's also needed ...
Writing by hand may open a conduit to human creativity. Have we evolved to write?
Studies show the cognitive and physiological uniqueness of handwriting. Did humans evolve to write? ...
Nanoparticles in sunscreen get bad rap, but evidence they cause human harm is slim
Most consumer sunscreens use nanoparticles to keep products effective and transparent. But some call the safety of this micro technology ...
Behavioral genetics enters the courtroom
Behavioral genetics is now being used in courtrooms to help establish and justify defendants crime and reduce sentences. But the ...
Criminalizing high-risk pregnancy? Law makes having a disease and baby simultaneously a crime
Tennessee will now prosecute pregnant women who use drugs, despite overwhelming evidence that addiction is a disease much like diabetes ...
As reproductive technology charges ahead, legislative and ethical oversight flounders
Technology to assist human reproduction is growing quickly and without much government oversight. As these options expand past creating unorthodox ...