Fascinating article in the New York Times that isn't getting a ton of publicity, but its importance can't be overstated. The science feature's subhead offers the nut graf: Critics warn that a Defense Department-funded food security project that is still in the lab could set off a “biological arms race.” The article begins: Within the…
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Interested in genetics and genealogy? If you plan to explore your own DNA for evidence about your family history, keep in mind the variables between the results from the different genetic ancestry companies. The New York Times ran this guest piece from a genetic counselor in last week's Week in Review section: 23andMe Said He…
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This remarkable headline appeared in The Guardian on Wednesday: Genetically modified babies given go ahead by UK ethics body.
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If you missed John Oliver's “Last Week Tonight” this past Sunday, you missed one of the best (and funniest) explanations of the gene editing revolution ushered in by the advent of CRISPR six years ago. And no, it doesn't stand for Crunchy Rectums In Sassy Pink Ray-Bans, unfortunately) Here's video of the segment: Oliver (who…
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So-called designer babies are in the news again, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the birth of Louise Brown, the first test-tube baby (although there was no test tube involved).
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Guest post by Denise Howell After finishing “Biohack,” I was standing at my Newport Beach yoga studio this morning, surrounded by all the other local businesses dedicated to "perfecting" us, and was struck by just how many ways people might genetically modify their kids if they had the chance, given the expense and extremes we…
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