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"A Fatal Inheritance" is a book review that explores the devastating impact of hereditary cancer on one family, the Ingrassias. The author, Larry Ingrassia, shares his personal experience of losing multiple family members to cancer, highlighting the emotional toll and fear that cancer-prone families face. The review also discusses the scientific understanding of cancer, including the discovery of genetic factors such as the p53 gene and the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Despite advancements in research, targeted therapies for hereditary cancer have not yet been developed. The review emphasizes the resilience and courage of the Ingrassia family in the face of their ongoing battle with cancer. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the growing popularity and importance of Bayes' theorem, a method of quantitative reasoning developed in the 18th century. The theorem, which provides a way to update beliefs with new information, is now widely used in fields such as spam filters, artificial intelligence, and social problem-solving. Despite facing initial rejection, Bayes' theorem has proven to be effective and has been rediscovered and reinvented over the years. The article highlights the potential benefits of Bayesian reasoning, including improving scientific literature and making better predictions. It also explores how Bayesian reasoning can be applied in various contexts, such as healthcare and understanding human behavior. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: David Shaywitz Senators are convening Wednesday to evaluate Scott Gottlieb, President Trump's nominee for FDA commissioner, conservatives will undoubtedly lament the state of the agency while liberals fret about [...]

This article discusses the history and development of Botox, a drug derived from botulinum toxin that is now used for various medical and cosmetic purposes. The article highlights the work of Alan Scott, an ophthalmologist who played a crucial role in bringing botulinum into medicine. It also explores the origins of botulinum toxin and its potential as a bioweapon during World War II. Despite Scott's foundational work, he received modest compensation for his efforts, but he expressed no regrets, stating that he and his colleagues had "all the fun." [Extracted from the article]

In "The Coming Wave," Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, explores the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology. Suleyman believes that these technologies have the power to revolutionize industries and improve human lives, but he also expresses concerns about their potential misuse by bad actors. He argues for the need to regulate and shape these technologies to ensure they are used responsibly and in alignment with human needs. While Suleyman's predictions may be ambitious and the timeline for certain advancements may be longer than he suggests, his overall message about the transformative opportunities and existential dangers of AI and synthetic biology is worth considering. [Extracted from the article]

In the article "Rivals: How Scientists Learned to Cooperate," Lorraine Daston explores the evolution of scientific collaboration over the past 350 years. The author highlights the challenges of balancing the benefits of working together with the need to tolerate competitors. The article discusses the historical development of intellectual communities and the shift towards coordinated empirical inquiry in the 17th century. It also examines the role of international efforts in fostering collaboration, such as the Universal Postal Union and projects like the Carte du Ciel and the International Cloud Atlas. The article concludes by discussing the current concerns about oversight in the scientific community and the importance of face-to-face engagement with colleagues. [Extracted from the article]

The molecular revolution was supposed to enable drug discovery to evolve from chance observation into rational design, yet dwindling pipelines threaten the survival of the pharmaceutical industry. What went wrong? [...]

It's every physician's fear: the patient with the 'involved' family, relatives who watch over everything, question everybody and make a nuisance of themselves. Yet, in today's world of rapid-fire medicine, […]

Last week the National Academy of Sciences released new guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells, the latest milestone for investigators in this field. Last November the voters of [...]

The US has always been a nation of innovators. We seek out the unknown, the unexplored, the unsolved and then work until we figure out the answer. Above all, we [...]

I met Tom seven days before he died. He was transferred to our hospital with the slim hope that he could receive a combined heart-liver transplant. Donor organs never became […]

Everybody, it seems, wants to be a doctor. Medical school applications have risen to their highest level ever, with 46,000 people trying for 16,000 places last year. At Harvard, the […]