Your DNA may hold valuable information about your health, but current genetic tests can’t improve doctors’ ability to predict your risk of major disease.
DNA
How Bullying and Abuse May Age Children Prematurely
A hard life can age you, literally, researchers say. In fact, children who are exposed to violence at a young age show changes in their DNA equivalent to several years of premature aging.
How Exercise Can Change Your DNA
Scientists discover that physical activity leads to beneficial changes in gene activity, even after a single workout.
Family MattersPregnancy
Who’s Your Baby Daddy? New Paternity Test Can Tell at 12 Weeks
My youngest daughter has platinum curls; my husband and I have dark brown locks. When questioned, I routinely tell nosy people, “All I can say for sure is that I know I’m the mom.” It’s a joke: I’m certain that he’s …
Next on CSI: Using Saliva to Tell a Person’s Age
If you’re a fan of CSI, you know that dead men don’t tell lies. Not even about their age.
Family MattersPediatric Genetics
Should a Gene Test Decide Which Sport Your Kid Should Play?
Millions of kids play sports. But are they playing the right ones? Forget fun; this is about — to borrow a catchphrase from Charlie Sheen — winning. Now, at least two companies are marketing DNA tests that purport to help …
It’s a Match: How Officials Used DNA to Identify bin Laden
The Obama Administration used several methods, including DNA testing, to confirm that U.S. Navy Seals did in fact kill Osama bin Laden in a weekend raid in Pakistan, U.S. officials said on Monday.
A Possible Antidote for Radiation Exposure from CT Scans?
With traces of radioactive material from Fukushima appearing in rainwater as far away as Boston, concerns about radiation exposure are at an all-time high. But even if you’re not anxious about contamination from Japan, you may …
New Way to Investigate Crime: A DNA Test for Hair Color
Never mind what the sleuths on CSI would have you believe, finding DNA at the scene of a crime can sometimes be a dead end. Your genome may readily reveal your susceptibility to certain diseases or even the consistency of your …
FDA: At-Home DNA Tests Should Be Regulated
In early May, national pharmacy chain Walgreens indefinitely delayed sales of an at home genetic test kit after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that kit had not been proven safe or effective, and that further inquiry …
Researchers identify genes that may cause stuttering
Drawing on previous research suggesting that stuttering might have genetic origins, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine may have identified precisely which genes cause stuttering in certain people. Stuttering, the disorder characterized by repetition, delay and interruptions in speech, impacts an estimated 1% of
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The Roots of Individuality
Why do different people’s minds work so differently? Human brain cells don’t follow a set DNA script. Instead, they contain a surprising number of mobile elements — or “jumping genes” — that let them reorganize their genetic code.