“The eminent evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould once said: “Our planet has always been in the Age of Bacteria.” But scientists’ rapidly accelerating ability to harness microbes and turn them into what the field of synthetic biology calls “platforms for industrial production” is entirely without precedent. We are witnessing a revolution in the biological sciences of a speed and scale…
Psychologist Dr Ilan Dar-Nimrod from the University of Sydney talks about genetic determinism which he argues is encouraged by media reports that imply a greater risk from disease-related genes than there actually is. “We have about 1600 genetic tests available now,” says Dar-Nimrod. “We should have better knowledge about how to communicate these results in a manner that doesn’t create…
The 26th annual SLSA meeting, titled “Nonhuman”, will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Sept 27-30, 2012. From its inception, SLSA has distinguished itself from other humanistic scholarly societies through its sustained interest in the nonhuman. Not only does SLSA concern itself with nonhuman actants like tools, bodies, networks, animals, climate, media, or biomes but it is also engaged with such nonhumanistic…
Researchers working on the ENCODE project show that “what has been called junk DNA is actually teeming with an intricate web of molecular switches that play crucial roles in regulating genes”. NPR covers the story.
Scientists, lawyers and politicians have raised new concerns over the quality of forensic evidence testing – so is the criminal justice system too reliant on lab tests without realising their limitations? BBC covers the story.
ISG Director Dr. Eric Vilain writes an article for the NYTimes addressing gender testing for athletes. He writes, “When men are more talented than others, it is an expression of the beauty of sports. But when women outcompete others, suspicions about eligibility and arguments for a level playing field often arise. Sports officials are faced with an impossible quandary: a…