The Patents Argument Against GMOs Just Ended With the First Off-Patent GMO
12 Dec, 2014
I argued in my 2013 book, The Infinite Resource, that the “seeds shouldn’t be patented” argument against GMOs and specifically against Monsanto was invalid for a very specific reason: Patents end. As I wrote then, the patents for Monsanto’s first commercial genetically modified crop, Roundup Ready…
R e a d M o r eThe Evidence on GMO Safety
28 Apr, 2013
This page started as a followup to an appearance I made on NBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry show in April of 2013, speaking about GMOs. You can see the video at the show’s website or embedded below. See also: Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Or if…
R e a d M o r eDuke Researchers Send Touch Sensations into the Brain
5 Oct, 2011
More advances in mind-machine interfaces this week. MIguel Nicolelis (a pioneer in neural interfaces) and colleagues announced that they were able to send touch sensory data into the brains of monkeys. So the tally is now: Vision: In and out Sound: In Motion: Out…
R e a d M o r e30,000 Human Genomes to be Sequenced in 2011 – Exponential Growth
26 Sep, 2011
MIT Technology Review on the incredible rise in number of genomes sequenced per year: Exponential: The number of human beings whose entire DNA sequence is known has increased dramatically. This year, the world’s DNA-sequencing machines are expected to churn out 30,000 entire human genomes, according…
R e a d M o r eAnti-Ghrelin Vaccine to Fight Obesity
12 Jun, 2011
Ghrelin is a hormone that helps regulate body weight and metabolism. Higher ghrelin levels lead us to expend less energy and to eat more in an attempt to conserve resources. Now a group in Portugal has shown that it’s possible to immunize mice against ghrelin,…
R e a d M o r eGenetically Tweaked Microbes on 0.6% of Earth’s Land Could Replace Oil
18 May, 2011
New Scientist has an article on biotech firm Joule’s upcoming ethanol production biofuel plant. Joule already has a pilot plant covering 0.8 hectares in Leander, Texas. On 5 May, the firm announced that it had secured 486 hectares in Lea County, New Mexico, for a…
R e a d M o r eKey Trends of the Next 25 Years
21 Mar, 2011
Michell Zappa has a fascinating infographic attempting to lay out timelines for future technologies over the next 25 years. It’s an impressive job of collecting data and laying it out in a way that someone can explore. It’s worth playing with. Click through on the…
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