CRISPR, the gene-editing technology that has revolutionized biological research, is finally available as a medical treatment with regulatory approval. On December 8 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first CRISPR treatment for sickle cell disease. The treatment, called exa-cel and made by the companies Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics, edits a gene involved in… Continue reading FDA Approves First CRISPR Gene Editing Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease
Tag: Quantum Stuff
Tyrannosaur’s Stomach Contents Have Been Found for the First Time
For the first time, scientists have unearthed direct proof of what a tyrannosaur—often thought of as the epitome of fearsome predators—actually ate. The fossilized stomach contents of one member of this dinosaur family were described in a new study published on Friday in Science Advances. This remarkable discovery gives insights into the tyrannosaur diet and… Continue reading Tyrannosaur’s Stomach Contents Have Been Found for the First Time
The ‘Accidental Activist’ Who Changed the Face of Mathematics
Lenore Blum’s long career has spanned the breadth of mathematics and computer science. She’s done influential work in logic and cryptography, and she formulated an entirely new model of computation. And though she didn’t set out to do so, she’s also devoted a significant chunk of her time to building institutions to help women follow… Continue reading The ‘Accidental Activist’ Who Changed the Face of Mathematics
Deep Beneath Earth’s Surface, Clues to Life’s Origins
At most, Lang expected to find trace amounts of hydrogen so far underground. But the deepest water sample contained so much gas that as it surfaced, bubbles formed in the tube, a phenomenon similar to what happens when you crack open a fresh can of soda. “We were like, holy crap,” Lang said, recalling her… Continue reading Deep Beneath Earth’s Surface, Clues to Life’s Origins
73 Pre-Incan Mummies, Some with ‘False Heads,’ Unearthed in Peru
December 9, 2023 2 min read Burials holding mummies with false heads have been discovered from the Wari Empire in Peru By Owen Jarus & LiveScience The ruins of Pachacamac, an ancient archaeological site on the Pacific coast just south of Lima, Peru. Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed the burials of at least 73 people… Continue reading 73 Pre-Incan Mummies, Some with ‘False Heads,’ Unearthed in Peru
Mathematicians Identify the Best Versions of Iconic Shapes
Over the last two years, mathematicians have identified the best versions of a child’s playroom’s worth of shapes. These results occupy a quirky corner of math and, fittingly, have been produced by unlikely collaborations, involving a mathematician practicing origami with his wife and a professor teaching her undergraduates to play with paper. The work takes… Continue reading Mathematicians Identify the Best Versions of Iconic Shapes
Ultrasound Enables Remote 3-D Printing–Even in the Human Body
Mechanical engineers Shervin Foroughi and Mohsen Habibi were painstakingly maneuvering a tiny ultrasound wand over a pool of liquid when they first saw an icicle shape emerge and solidify. The pair shrieked so loudly that their colleagues down the hall at Montreal’s Concordia University could hear them. “Well, they would have heard us, if they… Continue reading Ultrasound Enables Remote 3-D Printing–Even in the Human Body
Betelgeuse Will Briefly Disappear in Once-in-a-Lifetime Coincidence
Some sky watchers this month will witness Betelgeuse, one of the brightest and best-known stars in the sky, nearly disappear. Mere seconds later—despite astronomers’ hopes that the star will meet its explosive end someday soon—it will return, shining just as brightly as ever. Betelgeuse’s brief blip of obscurity will mark a cosmic coincidence: an asteroid… Continue reading Betelgeuse Will Briefly Disappear in Once-in-a-Lifetime Coincidence
OpenAI’s Soap Opera Collapse Bodes Ill for AI Benefiting Humanity
December 11, 2023 4 min read Whatever fantasies we may have had about the nonprofit structure of OpenAI have been eviscerated. While it remains a nonprofit, it’s proven entirely beholden to ruthless capitalism By Ed Zitron Sam Altman, seen here at APEC Leader’s Week in San Francisco, California, was fired briefly as CEO of OpenAI… Continue reading OpenAI’s Soap Opera Collapse Bodes Ill for AI Benefiting Humanity
Why Some People Choose Not to Know
In the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol, the wealthy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has a magical, life-changing epiphany. Thanks to visits from a series of ghosts, his eyes are opened as to how his behavior affects other people—and he goes from a selfish grump to a generous benefactor overnight. Scrooge’s transformation comes down to knowledge.… Continue reading Why Some People Choose Not to Know