In this video segment from NOVA: "Cracking the Code of Life," Eric Lander of MIT's Whitehead Institute explains the effort to decode the human genome—from motivation to process to importance—and explains what a genome map can and cannot yet do for science. This video is available in both English and
Who can edit and contribute to Wikipedia? And what are semi-protected articles? We explain the different user roles in Wikipedia and how Wikipedia protects its knowledge. This video was produced in cooperation with Wikimedia Germany. Click here to see more videos: https://alugha.com/mysimpleshow
Click here to see more videos: https://alugha.com/mysimpleshow Who can edit and contribute to Wikipedia? And what are semi-protected articles? We explain the different user roles in Wikipedia and how Wikipedia protects its knowledge. This video was produced in cooperation with Wikimedia Germany.
A gene drive is a radical new way of re-engineering the genetic makeup of an entire species - including harmful insects like the mosquito. But as the technology steams head, fueled by powerful gene editing techniques coming out of synthetic biology like CRISPR Cas9, what are the risks, and how can w
Are companies that provide direct-to-consumer information on their personal genome -- including genetic susceptibility to disease -- creating new health risks that need to be regulated? On November 22 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration requested that the personalized DNA analysis company 23a
All viruses change over time. When a virus captures a host cell, it allows its genome to replicate, and new variants with small changes emerge. However, the English variant of Sars-Cov-2 has an unusually large number of mutations. Authors: ZDF/Terra X/WENDEVARGA/Christine Haak, Frank Siegwart, Albr
Like other viruses, retroviruses attack cells and force them to produce more retroviruses. This is only the first stage of the attack, because retroviruses implant into the genome and become part of our DNA. Authors: 3sat/nano/Docstation/Johan von Mirbach/Anna Grün/Riccardo Giese/Nico Schlegel, Max
Echidnas are egg laying mammals. Along with the platypus, the four living echidna species are classified in the monotreme order. Monotremes are mammals and thus produce milk for their young and create their own heat (along with other mammalian traits) but this unique mammals have a cloaca and lay eg
The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale. They have 20-26 teeth on each side of their lower jaws. Technically they have upper teeth, too, but these are vestigial and rarely erupt. Sperm whales are deep ocean dwelling animals making dives up to 6,500 feet (2,000m) to find food in the form of gian
Glass lizards are named so because they can be quite fragile. A glass lizard will drop its tail in self defense and may do this without the tail even being touched! When they tail breaks, it may sometimes do so in pieces, which has led to the myth that these lizards can piece their tails back togeth
Kissing bugs are from the groups of insects commonly called assassin bugs. These arthropods are well known as the insects responsible for the spread of Chagas disease, though they don't actually give the disease to people through their bites (which are typically made around a person's mouth). There
Antlions are the things of nightmares. Apparently there are people who don't believe these animals exist, but they are absolutely real. Antlions are also known as doodbugs and they build pitfall traps for any would-be passersby insects who are unfortunate enough to fall in. At the center of these pe
