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more about #genetics more comments → Roklimber: "We know you did it, so confess!" (silence) "Think you're tough, eh?" (silence) "Listen, we have ways to make you talk. If you don't confess, we'l... more » PlaidNinja: As soon as I saw it was a FOX gene I had horrible visions of a new wave of Neo-Conservative chimp pundits on Fox News. #genomics more » phatnacky: Professor Farnsworth beat them to it. #genomics more » Bootknife-Jackson: He Can Talk! hecantalkhecantalkhecantalk! I CAN SINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! #genomics more » SkonOfVulcan: If your going to do this your should also find the gene's that would make them docile, compliant and obedient. I'm just saying how many SF story's hav... more » bookwench: As soon as we get talking chimps we're going to find out they think throwing poo is hysterically , insanely funny. And a whole new generation of Will ... more » AshThePirate: Is it wrong I want them to develop this further so my dog can talk to me? Not my cat, he'd be a pretentious asshole. #genomics more » cylon_conspiracy: Stories like this make me think all the good work being done by Kirk Cameron is going unnoticed. Weren't there stories that a Planet of the Apes preq... more » CodenameV: I can't forgive the apes for that poor lady that got her face and hands ripped off by that chimp that went crazy; really, they've been playing on ou... more » DocMossy: A single gene isn't responsible for speech or lack thereof. This regulator may affect expression of neurological elements necessary for speech, but t... more » MonkeyT: "We could converse in polar bear and python, and we could curse in fluent kangaroo..." Still just a dream. #genomics more » gorehound: I read about this on another website.It was an interesting read. #genomics more » TickMan: They would probably have to alter some other genes just to give them a higher brain capacity to learn more than a couple hundred words. Also, from wh... more » InfiniteMonkey: WTF for? #genomics more » Jeremy Tapsell: I wonder how this could be applied to biocomputing, or organic machines... It seems if it has the ability to operate as a binary switch then we could ... more » -
#madscience
One Gene Tweak Could Make Chimps Talk
The reason why humans speak and chimps don't is dependent on one gene, called FOXP2. New research reveals more about how humans' FOXP2 leads to speech. Could genetic engineering on chimps bring on a Planet of the Apes scenario?
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#madscience
Bad Driving Could be in Your Genes
Know someone who seems congenitally incapable of driving? A new study suggests that a genetic variant may, in fact, be responsible for poor driving skills — and it's a variant nearly one third of Americans possess. More » -
#madscience
Gene Therapy Has Color-Blind Monkeys Seeing Red (and Green)
Genetic color-blindness may soon be a thing of the past. A team of scientists has used gene therapy to enable adult squirrel monkeys to see color for the first time, and they believe their technique could someday work on humans. More » -
#dnart
DNA Portraits Reveal Your Inner Beauty
Four competing companies offer artworks based on your unique genetic code, but which one will make your genes look coolest? We compare DNA portraits from each company, each with a very different take on the art of genetic information. More » -
#madgenomics
Fabricate Your Own DNA Evidence
DNA evidence has become the gold standard for criminal investigations, but researchers in Israel say that finding DNA at a crime scene may not be evidence of a crime, but rather the handiwork of a clever biology student. More » -
#madscience
The Hidden Connection Between Sex And Bio-Fuels
The fungus Trichoderma reesei is known for its ability to convert plant waste into glucose, which can be fermented into ethanol fuel. But there's that ever-present question: how can we make this process better? Turns out the answer is sex. More » -
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#geneticengineering
A Drug To Re-Awaken Ancient Human Genes And Fight HIV
"Junk DNA" are inactive parts of your genome, switched off long ago in evolutionary history. Now scientists say there's a junk gene that fights HIV. And they've discovered how to turn it back on.
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#evolution
Download Your Genomes on BitTorrent
Today a group of researchers announced they would be releasing several people's genome sequences online. Anyone can download or repurpose the data, which will be shared on BitTorrent and other file-sharing networks. More » -
#evolution
A New Explanation for the Way Humans Evolved from Apes
It's Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, and we still don't know why humans and chimps share 99 percent of their DNA, yet are such different animals. A new study published today advances a weird new theory.
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#jivetarkin
Designer Babies Are a Terrible Idea
Recently, we asked whether designer babies were OK. I’d like to reopen that discussion, because it’s such a complex question, with no easy answers. So let me start by saying: No, obviously they are not. -
#chartporn
A Maelstrom of Weird New Genetic Information
The human genome was sequenced almost a decade ago. Now we've entered the age of genomics — the study of what genes do, as well as what they don't. A terrific article by Carl Zimmer in the New York Times gives you a crash-course in cutting-edge genomics research, complete with some gorgeous charts like this one by Julian Honoré, showing all the ways heredity flows through systems that defy scientists' expectations. More »
