Scientific American
Editor of Health and Medicine for Scientific American
PROFILE
Dina Fine Maron
Guest
FROM Dina Fine Maron
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Giving birth via uterus transplant: Should that be a viable option for women? For the first time in the U.S., a woman who received a uterus transplant has given birth. Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas announced it on Friday. That’s where the woman got the transplant; she was born without a uterus. We learn about the mother and the uterus donor, risks behind the transplant and birth, and whether it will - or should - be a viable option for women across the U.S.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
CRISPR cuts out disease-causing genes, raises fears of designer babies A team of scientists recently published a paper detailing how they edited the DNA of human embryos using CRISPR. They did it without causing other potentially harmful mutations. CRISPR has the potential to help families with genetic diseases like breast cancer and Alzheimer's. But it also raises ethical questions.
To the Point
Superbugs are defeating antibiotics Antibiotics have prevented and cured deadly human diseases for 80 years. But the time is coming when we might have to live without them -- if we can. The United Nations says it's finally time to take seriously the warning that overuse in human beings and farm animals is not just counter-productive. It's allowing bacteria to develop resistance, so that common conditions like tuberculosis, gonorrhea and urinary infections might well become fatal again. And pharmaceutical companies are not stepping up with new research that could lead to development of new drugs. After years of warnings, it's a global problem that demands solutions — while there's still time.
Recommended
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why is Trump so behind on filling staff jobs, establishing concrete policies? Yesterday Donald Trump signed a “decision memo” to revamp the air traffic control system. But there was little legislative detail in the plan. There’s not much to other splashy announcements from the White House, including tax cuts and the arms deal with Saudi Arabia. And hundreds of positions are unfilled in federal agencies.
Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”
Design and Architecture
Farewell LA freeways, Peter Shire is back Angelenos don't want more freeways but we seem not to want mass transit either. Metro has killed the 710 freeway extension, and bus and train ridership is down across the region. What's the future of getting around in LA? And, Peter Shire is having a comeback. What attracts a new generation to his playful ceramics and furniture?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Accusations of lying fly between James Comey and White House During his testimony Thursday, former FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump and other White House officials of lying when they said the FBI was in disarray and its staff had lost confidence in him. President Trump’s lawyer said Comey was wrong -- that the president never asked for his loyalty, and never asked him to back off the investigation into former NSA director Michael Flynn.