Science: Past & Present

Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced he had produced the first gene-edited human babies nearly two years ago. The scientific world has reeled ever since, looking for ways to provide oversight for this controversial sector of science. Researchers have not perfected techniques to edit the... Read more

Thanks to a new technology in development called in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), in the near future any combination of donor parents—one woman, or two men, or three women and three men—may be able to have a child.  IVG would allow scientists to take the genetic matter of one or more... Read more

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Automakers continue to proclaim that fully autonomous vehicles are just around the corner. In 2016, a host of companies, from BMW to Volvo, promised driverless cars by 2021. While that has proven too ambitious, it hasn’t stopped companies from making revised... Read more

AUTOMATION IS NOT A CAUSE FOR FEAR BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDISCOVER WHY WE WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE. “I, FOR ONE, WELCOME OUR NEW COMPUTER OVERLORDS.” In 2011, millions watched as Ken Jennings scribbled this sentence on his answer screen, then looked up defeatedly into the luminous... Read more

During harsh Antarctic winters, temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit with winds up to 87 miles per hour. To stay warm, emperor penguins squeeze together in compact huddles that can include thousands of birds. But it turns out they don’t bunch together randomly. Researchers... Read more

Infectious-disease specialists refuted a report that stated that COVID-19 has “infiltrated Sunday services, church meetings and youth camps,” linking more than 650 cases in the United States to “religious facilities.” The New York Times reported that “new outbreaks of the... Read more

Twins who were conjoined at the head are likely to return home within months from the Vatican’s pediatric hospital where their bodies were successfully separated by doctors, and they have a high chance of living normal lives, the hospital’s chief neurosurgeon told CNA. The Bambino Gesù... Read more

Somewhere between Mars and Jupiter there is a hunk of rock that now bears the name of a living English Catholic priest. Fr. Christopher Corbally said Wednesday that he was “thoroughly surprised” when he heard asteroid 119248 had been named in his honor earlier this... Read more

A scientist on the front lines of developing a vaccine for COVID-19 today was selected as the recipient of this year’s Templeton Prize, an award recognizing his contributions to insight about religion through his work as a scientist. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National... Read more

One is widespread but has key shortages across its supply chain. One remains questionably reliable and is only helpful after the fact. And one is still early in development -- but could speed up and simplify results. Experts say ramping up the use of these three different types of... Read more