ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 234

What’s New, and What’s Not, in the Reported Birth of the CRISPR Babies

By Lila Thulin The announcement from Chinese researcher He Jiankui claiming to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies—twins whose genomes were altered, as embryos, using CRISPR technology—shook the scientific world and prompted a maelstrom of ethical controversy. The experiment, if its outcome is verified by peer review, would certainly take CRISPR use in humans further than it’s gone …

A congressman’s loss clouds the future of two demanding missions to Europa

By Eric Berger The political attack ad lunged straight for the jugular. In seeking to unseat Republican incumbent John Culberson from the House of Representatives, a pro-Democratic political action committee advertisement sneered at his enthusiasm for science and passion for finding life on another world for the first time. “He wanted NASA to search for …

For most Americans, new research says, family comes first

By Yonat Shimron As many Americans gather with their loves ones for Thanksgiving, a timely new survey from Pew Research confirms what miles of traffic jams and airport lines suggest: Family is the No. 1 source to which Americans look for meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction in their lives. The survey, conducted in two waves in 2017, found clear …

Five myths about climate change

By Katharine Hayhoe The Fourth National Climate Assessment — the work of 13 federal agencies and more than 350 scientists, including me — is clear: The Earth is warming faster than at any time in human history, and we’re the ones causing it. Climate change is already affecting people, and the more carbon we produce, the more …

Does Prayer Help Disaster Victims? Here’s One Way to Measure It

By Cass R. Sunstein After a tragedy, it is common for people to send “thoughts and prayers.” Skeptics argue that it’s much better to do something more tangible – to send money, to volunteer, or to press for reforms that will reduce future tragedies. In the context of gun control, the idea of thoughts and …

Chinese gene-editing scientist defends his research, raises possibility of third baby

By Helen Regan, Rebecca Wright, and Alexandra Field The Chinese scientist who sparked an international outcry after alleging to have helped create the world’s first genetically edited babies has raised the possibility of a third child being born, after announcing that a separate woman was pregnant at an early stage with a modified embryo. Speaking …

NASA Arrives at Bennu Today, But Exactly Where Is That Asteroid?

By Meghan Bartels NASA will arrive at an asteroid called Bennu today (Dec. 3), kicking the space agency’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission into full gear. OSIRIS-REx will arrive at Bennu at about 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT) and you can watch it live here, courtesy of NASA, beginning at 11:45 a.m. EST (1645 GMT). A mission program will …

Christian Group Brags About WV Teachers Illegally Starting School Bible Clubs

By Hemant Mehta The dumbest lawbreakers in society have to be the ones who broadcast their crimes to the world as if they’re invincible, and that seems to be what a Christian group known as GenerationNXT (Generation Next) did this past September when they posted this message on Facebook: A big thank you to our …

Does ‘In God We Trust’ belong in schools? More and more states say yes.

By Moriah Balingit A week after the school massacre in Parkland, Fla., when grief-stricken students demanded action at the state Capitol, Rep. Kimberly Daniels took to the floor to promote a measure she said had been inspired by God, who she said spoke to her in a dream. God “is the light. And our schools …

Open Discussion – December 2018

This thread has been created for open discussion on themes relevant to Reason and Science for which there are not currently any dedicated threads. Please note it is NOT for general chat, and that all Terms of Use apply as usual. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: If posting links, please quote only the bare minimum of text …