Intellectual Property (IP) is, in 2019, what a gold mine was in 1918. Technology companies of all stripes, pharmaceutical companies, media companies, and many others live or die by their intellectual property. Because of this it has become a litigeious business. Companies constantly sue other companies and individuals for IP theft, patent infringement, copyright infringement…
It is too late to regulate gene editing
The scientific community is shocked and outraged this week over the announcement that a Chinese doctor has gene edited two children to make them more resistant to HIV. Much of the scientific community believes that we are still decades away from being able to safely and accurately edit the genetics of embryos, that there are…
Will data vs magic replace right vs left in politics?
For most of the 20th century politics was defined by a left vs right paradigm. The left generally representing more socialist and collective policies, the right generally representing more individualist and capitalist policies. However, that fight is sort of played out. Most people now recognize that some combination of the above is needed, that neither…
Things you can call bullshit on, according to science
Regardless of what memes pop up in your timeline or what it says in the emails your mom sends, the following things are true according to science: Chemical-free isn’t a real thing, everything is made of chemicals Chemtrails are just water vapour Chiropractors are not doctors Climate change is real and caused by humans Conspiracy…
It sounds like Bill Nye has come around on genetically modified (GM) crops
I like Bill Nye, but it has bothered me for some time that he was anti-GMO. Nye has been a tireless defender of science when it comes to things like climate change and evolution. So it bothered me that he chose to cherry pick the science when it came to genetics. About 95 percent of…
Why science needs its own version of the Academy Awards
Science already has awards, lots and lots of them. The problem is that, despite the fact that science and technology have a far deeper impact on people’s daily lives than anything that comes out of Hollywood, most people don’t know about or care about science awards. However, that is not entirely the fault of the…
Traditional Values: Apparently getting drunk and making art predate humanity itself
It has been a busy couple of days in the study of mans early ancestors and it turns out that “man” discovered both alcohol and art long before we even became Homo sapiens. Conventional wisdom holds that man discovered alcohol at about the same time we learned to store food, approximately 9,000 years ago. However,…
WTF Evolution?: My favorite Tumblr is a book now
Truth be told, I don’t spend a whole lot of time on Tumblr but there are a few masterpieces that are worth keeping an eye on. One of my favorites is Mara Grunbaum’s “WTF Evolution?” which takes a regular look at some of evolution’s strangest and most perplexing creations. Now, in plenty of time for…
Can an arachnid reverse climate change?
It has been incredibly difficult to do anything about climate change, in large part because no one wants to give anything up or pay more for anything. However, Americans may soon not have a choice in the matter thanks to a disease carrying tick. Most of efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses has, for obvious reasons,…
What you should know about Ebola (+video)
Viruses are scary things. Some of them are deadly but they are very small and invisible to the naked eye. The only defenses against them, even in states where you can openly carry firearms, are good hygiene, vaccines and your body’s natural defenses. That means that there is no way to be 100% sure that…