Biotech Goats, Humans with Wings & Black Ice Cream

**Goats, Children's Health, and the Biotech Controversy 

According to writer Megan Molteni, scientists engineered goats whose milk could save thousands of poor children's lives. But a world wary of GMOs is not ready.

 

Excerpts from Molteni's article: Over the course of nearly two decades, scientists at the University of California-Davis have worked tirelessly to demonstrate that the milk from their goats is both safe and effective, but the researchers have run headlong into the pitched, prolonged, and--critics would argue--misguided first-world debate over genetically modified organisms. It’s a conflict animated in large part by a rapidly evolving arsenal of genetic engineering tools and the inability of both policymakers and the public to quickly and effectively make sense of it all--or even to apprehend the full spectrum of motivations for manipulating genes, from the mercenary and commercial to the humanitarian. This has left the UC-Davis goats, along with a host of other transgenic animals with the potential to curb disease and save lives, in a regulatory limbo--even as other genetically engineered organisms, from corn to fish, earn regulatory approval. 

from nature.com

“Regulation is important, and looking at these things carefully is necessary,” says Alison Van Eenennaam, an animal geneticist who works with the UC-Davis team and has been outspoken about the scientific community’s frustrations with the regulatory apparatus. “But not at the exclusion of all innovation, ever.” Particularly not those innovations, Van Eenennaam adds, that might well prevent millions of unnecessary deaths by diarrhea.

**CRISPR, a technology that can edit DNA with remarkable precision, has the potential to change human lives forever. This video looks at the method, but the controversies are swirling about the implications of such a scientific leap. Many are excited about the possibilities, while others are more cautious. 

**Humans with Wings

BASE jumping is cool, and wingsuits are technologically amazing, but jumping off a ledge and then spreading your synthetic wings to take flight over a beautiful Swiss mountain vista is still scary.  

**Black Ice Cream for a Summer Treat

As this video indicates, this summer’s food craze in New York City appears to be black ice cream—delicious but messy.