Belief varies enormously from person to person, especially on issues that really matter such as politics and religion. According to research by Gerard Saucier of the University of Oregon, these myriad differences can be boiled down to five basic “dimensions” (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol 104, p 921). At their core, he says, these concern …
Continue reading ‘Core beliefs of human beings (part 1 of 3)’ »
With the introduction of the inexpensive and very effective gene-editing technology, CRISPR, there is potential to alter all manner of genes, allowing scientists to alter genes for cancer and many other diseases. This is a scientific breakthrough. On the other hand, CRISPR comes with ethical issues: on what and on whom to use it? What …
“No one knows how many species of organisms have existed since life began. Thirty billion is a commonly cited figure, but the number has been put as high as 4000 billion. Whatever the actual total, 99.9% of all species that have ever lived are no longer with us…. For complex organisms the average lifespan of a …
Chinese scientists have genetically modified human embryos for the first time, prompting calls for a worldwide ban on the practice. The researchers, at Sun Yat-sen University, modified genes responsible for the fatal blood disorder thalassemia in “non-viable” embryos that were later destroyed. Their work was only partly successful, and caused unexpected mutations in other genes. …
Americans have become heavier over the years – and not just Americans – and the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has rapidly increased. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 10 percent of American adults have Type 2 diabetes, and that 86 million (!) adults over age 20 are prediabetic. Call that 86 …
