Author: Michelle Korhonen
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.I spoke with my colleague Sarah Zhang about a breakthrough in CRISPR therapy, and when it is ethical to use the gene-editing technology.First, here are three new stories from The Atlantic:A Transformative TreatmentEarlier this month, U.K. regulators approved a new therapy that uses CRISPR—a gene-editing technology that allows scientists to make cuts to DNA—to treat people with sickle-cell disease. FDA approval is likely in the…
Yes, cancer risk can be reduced through lifestyle conformity. A recent study published in BMC Medicine examined the association between adherence to cancer prevention recommendations by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and cancer risk in the UK. The study found that higher adherence to the recommendations was associated with a significantly lower risk of overall cancer as well as ovarian, esophageal, liver, breast, colorectal, gallbladder, and kidney cancers.The study included over 97,000 participants who were followed for a median of 7.9 years. Participants were assigned a score based on their adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations.…
The Texas Supreme Court held a hearing on the state’s medical exception to its abortion bans. Plaintiffs including women and doctors say the law is endangering lives in complicated wanted pregnancies.
Last week, it seemed that OpenAI—the secretive firm behind ChatGPT—had been broken open. The company’s board had suddenly fired CEO Sam Altman, hundreds of employees revolted in protest, Altman was reinstated, and the media dissected the story from every possible angle. Yet the reporting belied the fact that our view into the most crucial part of the company is still so fundamentally limited: We don’t really know how OpenAI develops its technology, nor do we understand exactly how Altman has directed work on future, more powerful generations.This was made acutely apparent last Wednesday, when Reuters and The Information reported that,…
A $1 Cancer Treatment: Scientists are developing a low-cost, safe, and controlled cancer treatment using bacteria.Cancer, a disease that has long cast a shadow over human health, may soon face a formidable adversary in the form of programmable bacteria. A team of researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Missouri is pioneering the development of this groundbreaking therapy, aiming to revolutionize cancer treatment with its low cost, enhanced safety, and targeted effectiveness.Traditional cancer therapies have often been plagued by limitations, such as debilitating side effects, low patient responsiveness, and exorbitant costs. The financial burden of cancer treatment can…
In a way, the story of American natural gas is a particularly American story, one of entrepreneurial hustle, booms and busts, and a will to find opportunity where nobody’s looked. Of resourceful self-preservation for the sake of self-preservation alone. Of supply needing demand, and of manufacturing that demand through the means at hand, even if the logic is sometimes tough to follow. Natural gas has fueled American homes, American electricity, and, more recently, American plastics, an industry more usually fed by oil. As the grand ambitions for that last endeavor have begun to show signs of waning, the industry has…
Researchers used a Mendelian randomization approach to identify five proteins that could be used as biomarkers for early breast cancer detection.Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide. Early detection is important for improving the chances of successful treatment. However, current methods for early detection, such as mammograms, are not always effective.A new study published in the journal Nature Communications used a Mendelian randomization approach to identify five proteins that could be used as biomarkers for early breast cancer detection. The study analyzed the levels of over 3,000 proteins in plasma samples from women with and…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Peter Antonacci to lead a new elections fraud office in July 2022, just a few months before Antonacci died inside the Capitol building. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jim Vondruska/Getty Images Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Peter Antonacci to lead a new elections fraud office in July 2022, just a few months before Antonacci died inside the Capitol building. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images Florida’s top election fraud officer collapsed in the hallway of the governor’s office after a heated meeting, then lay dead or dying for 24 minutes before someone came to his aid,…
Where to even start in cataloging the most ridiculous—and alarming—recent rulings to come out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit?There’s a case about whether a class action could go forward that boiled down to a dispute among three Fifth Circuit judges over the meaning of a Bible verse. There’s a case in which the Fifth Circuit allowed three doctors to sue the FDA over a tweet intended to discourage ivermectin use that read, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.” There’s a case in which the Fifth Circuit barred…
Yes, gaming apps have the potential to improve exercise performance for vestibular hypofunction patients by making vestibular rehabilitation exercises more engaging, motivating, and accessible. Vestibular hypofunction, a disorder of the inner ear that affects balance, can lead to dizziness, vertigo, and instability. Vestibular rehabilitation exercises can help alleviate these symptoms but are often perceived as tedious and repetitive, hindering patient adherence and overall treatment outcomes.Gaming apps address this issue by incorporating interactive and dynamic gameplay elements that transform rehabilitation exercises into engaging experiences. These apps typically utilize motion tracking sensors, such as inertial measurement units (IMUs), to capture and analyze…