Why the History of Science Should Matter to Scientists
Two historians consider the field of taxonomy to ask what history can provide science at the bench level.
The Trouble with “Native DNA”
Genetic testing to determine who is Native American is problematic, argues Native American studies scholar Kim TallBear.
The Weed Scientist Who Brought Down the Wrath of Stalin
Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov's hypothesis on the evolution of rye is now accepted. But in the 1930s, his research got him arrested.
Can We Protect Against Coronavirus by Rewriting Our Genomes?
Genome recoding could offer new modes of virus resistance, but the technology raises serious ethical concerns.
The Marvelous Experiments of Amateur Plant Breeders
Over 100 years ago, a horticulturalist introduced hybrid plants to California gardeners. Up sprouted a movement of amateur experiments in plant biology.
The Woman Scholar Who Foresaw the Dangers of DNA Testing
In 2003, Christine Rosen wrote that "[w]e may come to know too much about ourselves to truly live in freedom."
Get Ready For Human-Animal Hybrids
New progress in stem-cell research raises some thorny ethical questions.
The Mysterious Gynandromorph
Gynandromorphy is an extremely rare condition in which an animal is half male and half female. It's most visible in birds and butterflies.
Love, Sex, and Cyanide—The Private Life of a Toxic Butterfly
Heliconian butterflies choose mates with similar wing patterns. Their genes make them do it.
When Endangered Wildlife Gets Inbred
The endangered eastern lowland gorilla populations are now so small that the species is facing a new threat: loss of genetic diversity.