What Can ‘Drunken Monkeys’ Teach Us About Alcohol Addiction?
Turns out, our ancient ancestors' consumption of fermented fruits created a genetic mutation that be the cause of alcoholism in people today.
Browsing Tag
Genetics
78 posts
The Future of Medicine Depends on Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions
Biomedical researchers can see a future where genetic tests are used to treat and prevent many diseases before major symptoms even present themselves. But that future won't be possible without strong insurance protections for pre-existing conditions.
A True Story of Pathological Friendliness
Jennifer Latson's debut illustrates a boy's coming-of-age, complicated by a genetic disorder that strips peoples' social inhibitions.
The FDA Now Trusts You With Your Own Genetic Information
Before one of her pregnancies, my wife took a genetic test to find out if she was a…
How to Free Personal Genetics
Consumer genetic tests like 23andMe aren't medical devices, and the FDA shouldn't regulate them like blood-sugar meters or pregnancy tests.
The Curious Co-Mingling of Race, Genes, and Health
A new study shows how understanding the “shopping cart” of race and ethnicity may be crucial to finding…
How Native American Genes Tell the Story of Europeans’ Arrival
Europeans’ arrival in North America left a mark on the population of people already here. A new study…
How Our Environment Affects Our Genes
Genes versus culture is not an either-or proposition. By Michael White (Photo: mujitra/Flickr) When we say “it’s genetic,”…
The Inexcusable Lack of Diversity in Genetic Studies
Low numbers of minorities in medical genetic studies is bad for both science and society. By Michael White…
Obesity Probably Didn’t Evolve to Protect Us From Famine
Researchers use genetics to test the “thrifty gene hypothesis” and find it lacking. By Nathan Collins (Photo: Justin…