Whether or not they can lay claim to a special category, the "Confederate Southern Americans" who want to write themselves into the U.S. census section denoting "race" have a point. Read more: Census reveals history of U.S. racial identity and listen to a discussion of the piece on KGO radio.
We can't expect President Obama, a police officer and a black history expert to vanquish racial bias over a beer in the White House. Instead, we need some back-fence dialogue, some coffee shop chatter, and some honest exchanges. Read more: Racial 'don't ask, don't tell' makes no sense.
Listen to our five, one-hour radio documentaries on genes and society. You'll find out how evolution is happening right before our eyes, food biotechnology is spreading around the world, and what's inside your brain. You'll learn whether you think like a chimp and how the air you breathe and the food you eat can change your DNA. Once you get to the page, click the "podcast" button to the right.
Race, genes and illness
More and more, researchers are holding out the hope that genetic differences may finally explain a good part of the troubling health disparities among races. New York Times.
Sex determination beyond X and Y
Babies born with mixed sex organs often get immediate surgery. New genetic studies, Eric Vilain says, should force a rethinking about sex assignment and gender identity. Scientific American.
Q&A on sex determination with Vilain
Excerpts from the interview with geneticist Eric Vilain on sex determination. SciAm.com.
Ancestry tracing for African Americans
Even as population geneticists battle over the meaning of race, cline and "biogeographical ancestry," a small industry has emerged out of the quest to understand human migration and identity. Scientific American.
DNA identifies war crime victims
For 10 years, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) has been assembling data on the 40,000 civilians who disappeared in the wars that followed the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Scientific American.
Stem cell hopes and realities
Stem cell boosters promised miracles for people like Nancy Walls, who has Parkinson's disease and whose husband is a stem cell researcher. How do they -- and we -- balance our hope for cures with scientific reality? California.
Intersex battles: The sex police
The biology of sex is being hotly debated, as parents, doctors and researchers reevaluate what it means to be male and female. Salon.com.
Understanding evolution is crucial to debate
While people who support the scientific method do not accept the antievolution lobby's claim of "irreducible complexity," are they prepared with a coherent response? Boston Globe.
How to remodel your home and keep your health, too
Fortunately, it’s gotten much easier to avoid troublesome products and to incorporate cleaner materials and techniques into your remodeling job.
Is milk really good for you?
Evidence is accumulating that milk and milk products may not be the wholesome, ideal foods we think they are.
Tips for preventing osteoporosis naturally
Revisiting Race in a Genomic Age
(Rutgers University Press, 2008). See my chapter, "Cops, Sports and Schools: How the News Media Frames Coverage of Genetics and Race."
Handbook on Communicating and Disseminating Behavioral Science
(Sage Publications, 2007). See my chapter, "Understanding Mass Media Priorities and Processes: Magazines."
