life

science

science June 2, 2017

MinION pocket DNA sequencer

Katie Silver A new handheld DNA sequencer is releasing scientists from the confines of their labs, aiding in projects from treating contaminated water to potentially testing for life on Mars.

science March 18, 2017

Geoengineering against climate change

Greg Foyster While some scientists claim solar geoengineering could be our last, best hope to deal with climate change, others say it will open the door to entirely new risks.

science February 18, 2017

MRT and three-parent babies

Kemal Atlay Britain has approved an IVF technique to prevent mitochondrial disease from being passed on to children, resulting in babies with three biological parents.

science March 11, 2017

Ancient Aboriginal DNA and repatriations

Cheryl Jones A new genetics study into the movements of First Australians will bolster the campaign for the return of Aboriginal remains held in institutions around the world.

science January 28, 2017

Drug research and lived experience

Jenny Valentish Few researchers working with prohibited drugs such as heroin and psychedelics admit ‘inside knowledge’ of their use, but some argue that the culture of non-disclosure is irresponsible.

science December 17, 2016

Marijuana use in sport

Gillian Terzis Inconclusive studies haven’t deterred enthusiasts from claiming marijuana as a performance-enhancing drug, from Ganja Yoga to the world’s first ‘cannabis gym’.

science November 26, 2016

New Safe Confinement in Chernobyl

Katie Silver Thirty years since the world’s worst nuclear accident, engineers are sliding a giant shield over the Chernobyl reactor to finally enable its deconstruction and decontamination.

science May 28, 2016

The ‘replication crisis’ across science

Ray Moynihan Researchers are finding they are unable to reproduce studies long taken for granted in their disciplines.

science April 16, 2016

Gene-editing poses ethical questions

Kemal Atlay Gene-editing offers hope of eliminating genetic disorders, but raises questions about how far we should go.

science March 12, 2016

The science of editing a mosquito’s genetic make-up

Gillian Terzis The fight against the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses turns to genetic engineering.

science November 14, 2015

The BRCA1 gene and science in the courtroom

Wendy Zukerman

The High Court’s decision against patents on isolated genes raised questions about how non-expert judges can rule on science.