Tea with Science

Bacteria use CRISPR for defence; what will we do with it? From the potato to the human, a new tool can manipulate genes to change organisms with a combination of accuracy, speed, flexibility and low cost that we've never seen before. It is so easy to use there's even a do-it-yourself kit . That's right - everyone can now tinker with genes. Imagine what the experts can do. Should we be scared or excited? The new technique could lead to organ transplants from pigs , population-wide sterilization of malaria-carrying mosquitoes , the eradication of genetic disorders from an entire family line, a cure for HIV , and the great auk brought back from extinction after nearly 200 years. Great auk, currently extinct Image: John Gerrard Keulemans That is the potential of CRISPR (“crisper”), a tool that is used in nature by bacteria to defend themselves against viruses. If a bacterium survives a viral attack, it can sometimes take a part of the viral DNA and s...

To children and rats alike, the sparkly rocks of Central Park represent scampering opportunities. To tourists, they represent resting opportunities before the hard business of sightseeing resumes. The rocks of Central Park are part of the NYC experience for so many people, but however permanent those rocks may seem, they are themselves evidence that nothing lasts forever. Half a billion years ago, the oldest rocks of today’s city, Fordham Gneiss, lay south of the equator in a shallow ocean just off an early continent. Sea creatures lived and died there, leaving shells behind that collected on the ocean floor, slowly forming beds of limestone. Mud and more sediments, together with volcanic ash from a nearby string of volcanic islands, compressed over time to form a layer of shale. The volcanic islands were a sign that the continents were on the move. In an almighty slow-motion crash, the volcanic islands collided with NYC's early continent. Land crumpled, sending up a moun...