Dna

News

McDonalds Australia Using Anti-Theft DNA Spray

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2:00PM January 21, 2012 | Danny Allen

My first ever job was at KFC in Merrylands, Sydney. I was back home at Christmas and shocked that they’ve now got bank-style anti-theft barriers. But after only just hearing McDonalds in the same suburb was held up twice while I was in the US covering CES, I can now see why. I also get why Maccas is following the lead of McDonalds Netherlands and using an identifiable DNA-based spray that soaks criminals as they flee the store. More »


Science

Salmon Sperm Is Your Next Generation Optical Storage Device

2:45PM January 11, 2012 | Kristen Philipkoski

By adding a bit of silver to a thin layer of salmon sperm DNA and sandwiching it all between two electrodes, scientists have created a data storage device that could lead to a cheaper replacement for silicon. More »


Science

Why Genetic Determinism Is Bad For Humans

10:40AM December 21, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Do you prefer to run in packs or operate as a loner? Your answer is determined by your genes, a new study claims. It’s a big shift in social behaviour theory, since scientists previously thought the environment determined social behaviour. More »


Science

A Miracle Drug Keeps This 70-Year-Old Cancer Patient Running Marathons

8:40AM December 15, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Don Wright was diagnosed with myeloma — cancer in his blood cells and bone marrow — two weeks after running his first marathon. His doctor gave him a five-year survival estimate. Eight years later he has run 59 26.2-mile races in 41 states and takes just one pill per day to keep his cancer at bay. More »


Science

Sorry, Haters, But Talent Is For Everyone

6:20AM November 22, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

The authors of a recent New York Times opinion piece want to rain on the parade of anyone who thought they might be able to succeed by working really hard. Luckily, their arguments aren’t very convincing. More »


Science

Neanderthals And Modern Humans, Like, Got Busy

7:37AM November 3, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Despite representing different stages of human evolution, it looks like European Homo sapiens might have had a penchant for a little Neanderthal booty. Or vice versa. More »


Science

How The Biggest Biological Cells On Earth Work

5:00AM October 31, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Have you ever heard of an endocycle? Endocycles are happening all around you! They’re one way that biological cells grow, and they generate more than half the earth’s biomass. But how exactly endocycles work has been elusive to scientists until now. More »


Geek Out

You Can Actually Turn Your DNA Into Houseware Decors

7:20AM October 13, 2011 | Adrian Covert

It’s one thing to put your own personal touch into the appearance of your home. But basing your household aesthetic around your own unique DNA signature takes that idea up more than a few notches. More »


Science

Eat Your Greens, Change Your Genes

8:29AM October 12, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

You already know you’re supposed to eat your vegetables. But a new study shows a healthy diet could go so far as to impact your genetics. More »


Science

Female Promiscuity Is a Biological Imperative

7:20AM September 23, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Men have always had evolution to blame for their wily Casanova ways – that whole spreading their seed far and wide thing. Finally, evolution is coming through for women, too! More »