The warning consisted of a single sentence: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” The pithy…
Category: Genetics
Sequestering carbon on a gigaton scale: How gene editing can address climate change by reducing atmospheric emissions
Hardly a day goes by without another piece praising the potential for gene editing to help solve climate change. Nevertheless, the possible contributions of biology and biotechnology have been conspicuously underplayed in most of the International Panel on Climate Change…
First synthetic human embryo to live past 14 days was made from stem cells
A Cambridge University scientist says her research lab has used stem cells to create a human embryo that developed past day 14. If confirmed, the technique could lead to breakthroughs…
Unlocking Schizophrenia: Mitochondria Dysfunction at the Forefront
Summary: Researchers have identified a pivotal role of impaired mitochondrial function in the development of schizophrenia by examining the genetic risk factor 3q29 deletion syndrome. The genetic condition, known to…
Pesticides and Food: It’s not a black or white issue — Part 5: Soil health ― When synthetic pesticides are more sustainable than ‘natural’ organics
Most consumers believe organic farming avoids pesticides and prioritizes the health of the environment more than conventional farming. However, this is not necessarily the case. Pesticides used in organic farming…
ChatGPT has just had a major update. What can it do now?
Tech research company OpenAI has just released an updated version of its text-generating artificial intelligence program, called GPT-4, and demonstrated some of the language model’s new abilities. Not only can GPT-4 produce…
During the COVID pandemic, Republicans in Ohio and Florida had a higher mortality rate than Democrats
Let’s start with the disclaimers. Most importantly, “excess” deaths, meaning a higher number than might be anticipated, are based on the assumption that the baseline death used to determine excess was…
AI Pinpoints Parkinson’s Subtypes Using Stem Cell Images
Summary: Researchers enabled machine learning to accurately predict Parkinson’s disease subtypes using stem cell images. This breakthrough showcases computer models classifying four Parkinson’s subtypes, with top accuracies reaching 95%. This…
Should University Agricultural Research Scientists Partner With Industry?
Paul Vincelli, extension professor and Provost’s Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Kentucky | March 7, 2017 HIGHLIGHTS: • Biases, conflicts of interest come from many sources, including associations with…
Viewpoint: GOP Congressmen continue to question safety of the COVID vaccine, raising concerns of feeding vaccine hesitancy
It was a late-spring House of Representatives hearing, where members of Congress and attendees hoped to learn lessons from the pandemic. Witness Marty Makary made a plea. “I want to…
