A 70% increase in global demand for food by 2050, set against urgent biodiversity and climate pressures, requires an unprecedented transformation of our food system. This challenge can in part…
Category: Genetics
Viewpoint: Gene-editing roadblocks — Excessive regulations and a ‘guilty until proven innocent’ mindset hamper gene editing’s massive potential to address climate change
Jared Diamond (1997) observed that, Any society goes through social movements or fads, in which economically useless things become valued or useful things devalued temporarily. Nowadays, when almost all societies…
Unraveling Schizophrenia: Genetics and Environmental Insights
Summary: A recent review outlines the genetic complexity of schizophrenia, highlighting nearly 300 common genetic variants and over 20 rare variants linked to the disorder. Researchers emphasize that schizophrenia’s genetic…
Breakthough Institute: Are cover crops the silver bullet to reduce agricultural carbon emissions as regenerative-farming enthusiasts claim? Time for a rethink
Cover cropping, the practice of planting secondary crops during the off-season to improve soil health, has roots stretching back to antiquity. Ancient Romans used crops like lupines to enhance soil fertility…
Environmental-Industrial Complex: How governments, advocacy groups, ‘progressive’ foundations and industry profit off of climate fears
Is history repeating itself? In 1961, US President Eisenhower gave an alarming farewell address, warning that the military-industrial (Congressional) complex was threatening democracy and leading to a disastrous rise of…
Umbilical Cord Blood Test Could Predict Autism Risk
Summary: A recent study suggests that measuring specific fatty acid metabolites in newborn blood could predict autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk. Researchers found that higher levels of certain metabolites were…
Men can’t do Zumba. Is it in their genes?
Zumba saved me during the pandemic. Prior to COVID, I took 3 or 4 of the ATP-burning classes a week (for the uninitiated, ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate, the molecule…
Cancer Drug Shows Promise for Autism Cognitive Function
Summary: A new experimental cancer drug could ease cognitive difficulties for those with Rett syndrome, a rare autism-linked disorder, by enhancing brain cell functions. The drug, ADH-503, improves the activity…
Viewpoint: How to best regulate chemicals? ‘Precautions employed to regulate tiny, sometimes nonexistent risks can cause real harm’
For virtually everything in life, we face decisions about whether we should “sweat the small stuff.” No doubt, most may have encountered a boss who micromanages us with useless reports…
Why do some animals have bigger brains than others?
Thanks to our large brains, humans and non-human primates are smarter than most mammals. But why do some species develop large brains in the first place? The leading hypothesis for…
