Research Stash Weekly Review #12

Opioid-Addicted Americans Seem to Have This Genetic Variation in Common

Who you are is the result of a complicated interplay between your environment, your genes, and probably a few other factors science has yet to uncover. Read More

Ancient DNA Study Reveals the Genomic History of Southeastern Europe

In an ancient DNA study published this week in the journal Nature, scientists and archaeologists from over 80 different institutions lift the veil on the genomic history of Southeastern Europe, a region from which very little ancient genetic data has been available until now. Read More

Scientists just got a step closer to treating incurable diseases using a revolutionary gene-editing tool

In people with Huntington’s disease, the nerve cells of the brain start to break down over time. Read More

Microsoft predicts everyone will soon have an AI “second self” to boost intelligence

A new book by two industry titans predicts that in the near future everyone will have a digital “alter ego”.  Read More

Scientists Recreate Genome of a Bird That’s Been Extinct for 700 Years

These scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.  Read More

Researchers have finally created a tool to spot duplicated images across thousands of papers

Computer software can now quickly detect duplicate images across large swathes of the research literature, three scientists say. Read More

Scientists Discover Long-Sought Evidence of First Stars Forming

When you sweep across the FM radio band, you don’t always hear music—mostly, you hear static. Read More

Dubai Plans to DNA Test All 3 Million of Its Residents

In a massively ambitious project aimed at improving the health of its 3 million residents, the city of Dubai plans to sequence the DNA of its entire population. Read More

Powerful enzyme could make CRISPR gene-editing more versatile

An enzyme modified in the laboratory could boost the utility of CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing by allowing researchers to tinker with more sites in the genome — while also reducing the risk of undesired changes. Read More

Scientists have found the genes that make magic mushrooms magic

Long before magic mushrooms became a way for hippies to turn on, tune in, and drop out, and well before ancient mesoamerican mystics employed them in religious ritual, they had their use as an insect repellant. Read More

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