Posts tagged “genetics”

The start of a storyOct 7, 2006

A speculative fiction setup tracing humanity's future evolution: rising IQs lead to an autism pandemic, prompting genetic engineering to restore emotional intelligence. The result is a new breed of "geemo" superstars with Profound Empathic Ability. Introducing Anna Gajewski, born 2215, whose story is just beginning.

Gattawho?Aug 31, 2006

Blair wants to identify troublemakers before birth. Surely no one's ever explored where that road leads.

This is why I shouldn't read books about geneticsJul 23, 2006

I've been reading about genetics and now I'm questioning free will, consciousness, and whether our lives are just emergent behavior from genes meeting environment. Are we like water droplets on a windshield: unpredictable paths, inevitable outcomes?

On geekiness being hereditaryJan 9, 2005

I always assumed my geekiness came from my chemical engineer dad, but looking closer, he's the people person. Mom switched from P.E. to teaching chemistry, never met a gadget she didn't upgrade twice, and yesterday sat giggling over her new Palm Pilot. The geekiness is absolutely from her.

Enough with the bad hair jokesMay 23, 2004

A quick linklog: addictive Flash game, a self-harm gene worth understanding before editing out, naked rollercoaster records, free speech as comics, London's hackable wireless CCTV, and cocaine overtaking ecstasy as the drug of choice.

Those of you who've spoken to me about it will know that Africa's AIDS pandemic depresses the crap...Feb 10, 2003

Africa's AIDS crisis is devastating, but I found two surprising bright spots: infection rates across the continent appear to be stabilizing, and some people are genuinely immune to HIV. That 1% genetic immunity in caucasians makes a compelling case for genetic engineering. Small comfort, but I'll take it.

Asperger's Syndrome and autism are rising sharply in Silicon Valley because the same genes that...Dec 17, 2001

The genes that make great engineers also cause autism, and in Silicon Valley, mildly autistic programmers are meeting, marrying, and concentrating those genes in their children. The result: sharply rising rates of Asperger's. More on this soon.

A fairly amusing article in the otherwise dull Telegraph about the town of Telford being destroyed...May 4, 2001

Found an amusing Telegraph piece about Telford being wiped out by an asteroid. The article is ostensibly serious, but the list of things that would be "tragically lost" from this middling English town is priceless. Also: genetically modified babies with three biological parents are apparently a thing now.