Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of the First Publication of the Human Genome

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February 12, 2021

Biology Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of the First Publication of the Human Genome A new wave of research is needed to make ample use of humanity’s “most wondrous map” By J. Craig Venter

Evolution Neandertalized 'Mini Brains' Yield Clues to Modern Human Uniqueness Experiments on clusters of cultured cells hint that a gene variant found only in Homo sapiens profoundly changed brain development in our species compared to our extinct relatives By Kate Wong

EARTH Whales' Long, Loud Calls Reveal Structure beneath Ocean Floor Sound waves from fin whales can help scientists probe Earth’s crust By Stephanie Pappas

Biology The Human Genome and the Making of a Skeptical Biologist Thoughts on scientific ambition and progress, 20 years after the first draft of the genome was completed By C. Brandon Ogbunu

Behavior & Society How to Stop Doomscrolling News and Social Media “Doomscroll Reminder Lady” Karen K. Ho explains how to step away from the screen By Sophie Bushwick

Environment When Two Tibetan Glaciers Collapsed, the Whole Landscape Changed The avalanches, linked to climate change, could alter local ecology and increase flood risks By Chelsea Harvey,E&E News

Computing How Hackers Tried to Add Dangerous Lye into a City's Water Supply A cybersecurity expert explains how safety systems stopped the attack By Sophie Bushwick

Evolution Evolution Could Explain Why Psychotherapy May Work for Depression Persistent rumination may be an attribute that lets us think our way out of despair—a process enhanced through talk therapy By Gary Stix

Neurological Health Brain Cells Blinking in Rhythm May Hold Clues to Alzheimer's Disease Pulses of light and sound helped mice predisposed to the disease. They hope to investigate the potential therapy for humans with neurons created in a petri dish By Leslie Nemo

Behavior & Society It's Time to Take the Penis off Its Pedestal A culture of phallus worship has slanted the science in crucial and sometimes unexpected ways By Rachel E. Gross

Public Health Why COVID Vaccines Are Taking So Long to Reach You Bottlenecks in supply chains and difficult appointment-registration systems are slowing distribution By Sophie Bushwick

Behavior & Society White Chicago Cops Use Force More Often Than Black Officers New study of the city's policing also shows differences between male and female cops By Jim Daley

Arts & Culture Science Songs: A Spotify Playlist Aerodynamics, androids and fly larvae feature in our curated collection of top indie tunes inspired by science By Ryan Reid

FROM THE STORE Scientific American Space & Physics, Volume 4, Issue 1

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FROM THE ARCHIVE A Vision for the Next Decade of Human Genomics Research An article in Nature lays out 10 bold predictions for a field whose extraordinary achievements are just the beginning of what could be possible By Eric D. Green | October 2020

QUOTE OF THE DAY "The good news is that essentially every new drug and vaccine is now based on genomics, and basic research has changed from sequencing genes to more function-based research." J. Craig Venter, CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute

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