Chinese imagine genetically engineered radioactivity-resistant soldiers
Radioactivity-resistant soldiers? Life tries to imitate art.
genetic engineering
Gene editing: You can’t edit behavior because…
Scientists thought they could make hamsters more cooperative by editing out a gene … But just the opposite happened. Both male and female hamsters with the altered gene became more aggressive—much more aggressive.
Asking the right questions about human genetic engineering
It’s refreshing to find a reporter capable of asking probing questions about the the dangers of human genetic engineering.
Genetically engineered honeybees: Not the dumbest idea ever, but close to it
Why not genetically engineer honeybees to resist those things which are undermining their health?
“Falter”: In New Book, Bill McKibben Asks If the Human Game Has Begun to Play Itself Out
Thirty years ago, in 1989, Bill McKibben wrote The End of Nature, the first book about climate change for a general audience. He has just published a new book; it’s titled Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
A kinder, gentler GMO; what could possibly go wrong?
CRISPR, the latest fad in genetic engineering, is touted as both safer and more versatile than previous techniques. But those touting it are making the same demonstrably false assumption that people using the old techniques made.
Genes, synecdoche and the possibility of editing ourselves
Writers have previously imagined the dangers of such a moment, but now the democratization of genetic engineering is at hand. The dangers stem in part from our not understanding that we are mistaking a part for the whole. Humans are not just their genes.
Crispr is Coming to Agriculture, with Big Implications for Food, Farmers, Consumers, and Nature
Very few technologies truly merit the epithet “game changer” — but a new genetic engineering tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 is one of them.
March Against Monsanto Unites Global Food Activists
Just 48 hours after the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would allow states to require labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, more than 1,000 people filed into the Federal Plaza in Chicago, IL, on May 25 to march against Monsanto, the company whose policies have brought the problem of genetically modified food to the forefront.
Breaking up the Foodopoly
While many of us hope our farmers market purchases are helping repair a broken food system, let’s face it: all the locally grown organic broccoli in the world will only get us so far. Our dollars are valuable to the farmers at the market, but the domination of the American foodscape by a few powerful corporate players continues to limit consumer choices while squeezing out small and sustainable farmers and food producers.