Code for life

Regulating GMOs: time to move forward

Grant Jacobs • Nov 23, 2017

• gene therapy,
• genetic engineering,
• genetic enhancement,
• gmo,
• GMOs,
• Vaccine,
• vaccines

It’s time to move regulation of genetic modification forward. The current set-up is temporary and unsound. We use a risk-based approach for almost everything because that’s what makes sense. But New Zealand takes an arbitrary approach to genetic modification. So we ‘ban’ a technique that evidence shows there is no special risk in using. That poor logic plays to a vocal … Read More

Public opinion of gene editing and enhancement

Grant Jacobs • Nov 21, 2017

• embryo modification,
• embryo screening,
• gene editing,
• gene therapy,
• genetic engineering,
• genetic enhancement,
• law,
• legislation

What if we could fix a kid’s genetic disease, cure them for their lifetime? What if we make that for all of their children, forever? Or enhance humans to be genetically better? What’s your opinion of gene editing and enhancement? A survey asked what people thought. Participants gave a green light for adult gene therapy. They were cautious … Read More

Natural Health Products bill gets quietly dropped

Grant Jacobs • Nov 16, 2017

• Homeopathy,
• Natural Health Products Bill,
• natural remedies,
• New Zealand

Today Newsroom reported that the Natural Health Products bill has been quietly dropped. Fellow Sciblogger Mark Hanna offered thoughts on this in an interview. There is a need to address an unregulated market that has problems. In an earlier piece, I offered some thoughts on the draft bill. I felt quite a bit could be added. Claims about … Read More

Offering sympathies for disabilities

Grant Jacobs • Nov 12, 2017

• deafness,
• Disability,
• empathy,
• hearing loss,
• science communication,
• sympathy

Short version: don’t. Be a wee bit careful about empathy, too. Why to not offer sympathies for disabilities is worth knowing. It’ll help you be kind to others in many situations, and to write or talk about disabilities and difficulties better. There’s a connection with science and science communication, too. A mantra about kindness that circulates in science communication and … Read More

Vote for your favourite book

Grant Jacobs • Nov 10, 2017

• books,
• goodreads,
• vote

The GoodReads Choice Awards is the only major book award decided by readers – you! Even if you’re not sure about voting, the mid rounds of competitions offer great reading lists to explore. Get to it! Don’t take too long – the semi-final round ends in three days. (There is a final round from November 14th until November 27th.) … Read More

Vaccine battles

Grant Jacobs • Nov 08, 2017

• anti-vaccine,
• arguments,
• battles,
• discussions,
• vaccines

Two articles from Stuff have sparked a long-drawn out battle over vaccines. The Facebook pages have drawn an huge number of comments, many posting ill-formed opinions. Yeah, it’s happening again. The Stuff articles themselves are mostly fine. The vaccine battles in the comments… not. Yesterday was the 150th birthday of Nobel laureate Marie Curie.* She once wrote, “Nothing … Read More

Cat zero and reading for those who like science in fiction to be real

Grant Jacobs • Nov 07, 2017

• books,
• cat zero,
• jennifer rohn,
• lablit,
• novels,
• science writing

A quick introduction to Cat Zero and lablit. Some of us like the science in our fiction to be real. Don’t get me wrong. I can take a premise to buy into a story, even real doozies (well, up to a point…!)[1] But once I’ve done the deal with the author to buy into their plot, I prefer the science … Read More

Good news on vaccines: polio and measles

Grant Jacobs • Oct 29, 2017

• bill gates,
• measles,
• polio,
• public health,
• vaccines

We all need a little good news from time to time. Vaccines have been a remarkably successful medical invention. Over the past year, just 12 cases of polio have been seen worldwide. Truly amazing. Also reported is that measles has fallen below 100,000 cases worldwide for the first time. A few weeks ago New Zealand was formally named as free … Read More

When to kick out a professor

Grant Jacobs • Oct 27, 2017

• aluminium,
• anti-vaccine,
• crank,
• dismiss,
• Professor,
• resign,
• sack,
• Shaw,
• Tomljenovic,
• university,
• Vaccine

(Or a taught course, or department.) Reading about the latest retraction of a Shaw and Tomljenovic research paper on aluminium (with two ‘i’s!) and vaccines, I was reminded of topics I’ve ruminated on in the past: when to investigate a professor, and when do they no longer justify their position? What criteria might we use? What are the hallmarks … Read More

Autism is mostly genetic again

Grant Jacobs • Oct 24, 2017

• autism,
• genetic,
• genetics,
• Vaccine,
• wellness remedies

Ever since Rain Man, autism has been a condition du-jour for those touting (fake) ’wellness’ remedies, opposing vaccines, and general head-nodding concern. Some claim autism is caused by any number of things, offering just many remedies offered to “treat” it. Recent research reminds us that autism is mostly genetic. People with autism, or autism spectrum disorder, have difficulty in social … Read More