Reading Time: 2 minutes On August 4, Chinese and Singaporean scientists published a paper on a novel Henipavirus now present in humans, and elements of their work are now making the rounds in mainstream and social media in a highly irresponsible manner. Here’s what you need to know about the Langya henipavirus (also known as LayV), which has a […]
Biology
Posted inNews
Living synthetic embryo, made from stem cells, grown without a uterus
Reading Time: < 1 minute On Monday, Cell published the results of embryonic experiments carried out by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, which has been studying the potential of stem cells to give rise to entire embryonic structures. Its latest findings reveal the capacity to culture mouse stem cells to the state of an 8.5-day-old embryo—without the use […]
Posted inNews
Alzheimer’s, artificial sweeteners, and depression meds: A heavy month for health science literacy
Reading Time: 2 minutes Three major reports this month highlight the fragility of ongoing health sciences research, and challenges for broader scientific literacy. Earlier in July, the World Health Organization recommended against the use of non-sugar sweeteners, in a blow to many conventional weight-loss strategies. On July 20, Joanna Moncrieff and Mark Horowitz shared a research review that undermines […]
Posted inHealth
What does fasting tell us about the state of scientific literacy?
Reading Time: 10 minutes In the last two episodes of Global Humanist Shoptalk, I explored the question of human agency in relation to food. In “The Humanist Chicken Egg”, I reflected on how product choices are shaped by the cultures we inhabit. In “The Humanist Carbon Footprint”, I considered the onus placed on consumers to interpret manipulative labeling. But […]
Posted inHealth
“When the affected person is asleep, the tumor awakens”
Reading Time: < 1 minute The accidental discovery of a pattern in blood samples taken from cancer patients has determined that metastatic breast cancer spreads most aggressively at night. Hormones that control circadian rhythms appear to affect the rate of metastasis. “When the affected person is asleep, the tumor awakens,” says lead researcher Nicola Aceto, professor of Molecular Oncology at the […]
Posted inBooks
Adam the Ape: A thought-provoking middle-grade book for science-loving readers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Humans have been paired with chimps in movies, television, and books as far back as I can remember. I’d assume that’s mostly due to the similarities we share with these great apes—how we can see ourselves in them and undeniably realize our link to them, despite also being indoctrinated elsewhere into the idea that humans […]
Posted inNews
Would raising the minimum age of combat soldiers curb US gun violence?
Reading Time: 7 minutes On a TV news show the other day, I listened to a Republican congressman opine that it was nonsensical and unfair to consider raising the legal age to buy firearms to over 18. In his opinion, 18-year-olds in this country can already legally vote and can also choose to put their life on the line […]
Posted inBiology
New research uncovers the smart strategy of a hungry brain
Reading Time: < 1 minute A recent study published in Neuron reveals a selective “low-power” strategy in brains under stress. As brain size has grown, the glucose required to power the organ has grown massively, making the mammalian response to hunger a key component of survival. Because the core functions of the brain are essential, any compromise in the energy […]
Posted inReligion
How do Christians explain vanishing twin syndrome and ensoulment?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many theists believe that ensoulment takes place at conception, as the soul is either attached to, or emerges from, the physical matter of the fertilized egg. This theological minefield begs for critical analysis, which I’ve discussed as it relates to identical twins, and frozen embryos. In the final installment of my “Ensoulment Trilogy,” I was […]
Posted inBiology
Uterus 101: On menstruation, miscarriage, and mifepristone
Reading Time: 10 minutes When my Grade 5 class went through Ontario’s reproductive health curriculum in the mid-1990s, the boys and girls were separated, and received remarkably different lessons. Along with the basics of our changing bodies, I and the girls were shown how to use condoms through a banana demonstration, and told how important protection would be when […]