Blog
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June 7, 2016
Just Because We Can? The Chimera Question
Without a doubt, the advent of gene editing through CRISPR technology is a scientific and ethical game changer. The potential now to ‘edit’ an embryo has created all sorts of questions that science and governments are grappling with. But another issue at the forefront now is whether we should edit the genes of another species … Read more
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May 10, 2016
Back From the Brink: Should Science Halt Extinction?
As we grapple daily with the consequences of climate change and exploding human populations, other animal species we share the planet with are about to go extinct. But, as reported last week in the journal Nature, science may be able to step in and halt the inexorable decline of critically endangered animals. Right now, there … Read more
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February 29, 2016
Is the UK childbirth policy dangerous?
Imagine being asked to have a haemorrhoid removed without a local anesthetic. Or undergo laparoscopic gallbladder surgery while fully awake. Now imagine pushing a bowling ball out of your body through a hole the size of a golf ball. That’s childbirth. Millions of women do it every day without benefit of pain control or medical … Read more
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January 13, 2016
Do You Really Know Where You’ve Come From?
It’s common for most of us to know where our grandparents and great-grandparents were born and raised. But go back a few more generations and things get a bit murky. Less so in England, where detailed birth and death records have been kept for hundreds of years. But what about before we started obsessively keeping … Read more
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December 17, 2015
The Dopamine Crash: How to avoid the post-holiday slump
The months leading up to the end of the year holidays can be euphoric, exhausting, exciting and then… dreadfully depressing. During the build-up, our physiology is in an increased state of arousal, whether we’re anxiously looking for an elusive parking space or elated when finding the perfect gift at 50% off. Neuroscience has known for … Read more
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November 15, 2015
How Science Can Reduce Violence
This week we’ve seen another spate of terrorist attacks on everyday people, starting in Beirut and ending in Paris. World leaders are reacting to the incidents with emotion, and talk is of fighting back, bombing, declaring war. However, before we set off on a path of mutual assured destruction, could science contribute to our efforts … Read more
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November 5, 2015
Why Journals Reject Manuscripts
This week, the Washington Post reported that a study highlighting the stunning rise in the death rate of middle-aged American whites was rejected by two prestigious journals before finally being published by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was conducted by Angus Deaton and Anne Case, both distinguished Princeton economists, and Dr … Read more
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November 2, 2015
Why Translation and Editing Software is Bad for Your Reputation
You got that modest grant to carry out your research. You ran your study as frugally as possible and ate ramen noodles five nights a week. Now you’re tempted to run your data and text through inexpensive translation and grammar software before submitting for publication. Think again. Translation software is not savvy. Humans are. Even though … Read more
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October 18, 2015
Is This the Future of Research Funding?
The never ending quest to obtain funding for scientific research just got more difficult for a lot of scientists. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is taking steps to radically change the way it funds cardiology studies, making the move to allocate money to fewer studies with a deeper reach. The agency is confronting the … Read more