Word: dna
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...Wise argues the world, for purposes of the law, as a Darwinian continuum, in which humans should exercise a seemly self-effacement -- considering, among other things, that "our DNA and that of chimpanzees is more than 98.3 percent identical." The world is populated by thousands of species, ranging from humans to insects. "I don't argue that the great majority of animals should have legal rights," Wise says -- only those entitled to them by reason of mental powers and self-awareness. It seems to be all right to boil lobsters, by the way, since they have no brain cortex...
...been in the realm of possibility for years. But the prospect of doing it for comedic effect is just starting to take shape. Scientists are working to isolate the specific genetic code responsible for what makes us laugh--the "funny-bone gene," if you will. By breaking down the DNA of such comedic greats of the past as W.C. Fields, researchers are hoping that they can learn what it was in these classic funnymen that made them funny. While the research has yet to hit pay dirt, an unexpected side benefit has been the discovery of a new "alcoholism gene...
...policymakers struggle in the coming months to find ways of keeping patients better informed about the perils of gene therapy, scientists will be struggling to find safer, more effective ways of introducing corrective bits of dna into the human body. But cutting-edge medical research is never risk-free. "The bottom line is that we are embarking on a new age of therapy," says Dr. Yuman Fong of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. "There will be untoward side effects, and people may die from these therapies...
Venter's rivals have raised questions about how complete and accurate the finished maps will be. Venter has acknowledged that Celera's will contain some gaps, especially in the so-called repeats--long stretches of DNA with virtually identical sequences. Genome Project scientists once argued that because they have an easier time sequencing the repeats, their finished map would be more complete and error-free. They have since discovered that many regions throughout the chromosomes are unreadable even with their technology, and they are now forced to acknowledge that their product will have large gaps as well...
...will create a corporation that is even bigger and more complex. But the principle that guides our journalism is just as simple as it has always been. A respect for journalistic independence has been part of our company's values for so long that it's encoded in our DNA, and the only way our magazine can remain successful is if we continue that approach. If there are failures in judgment, it will be the fault of the editors and journalists here, as it has always been, not of the corporate structure or policies...