Stockpile profits before the next global pandemic

Stockpile profits before the next global pandemic

Last year, a group of scientists in Canada decided to pull off an outrageous stunt. The group, led by virologist David Evans of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, announced that they had synthesized the horsepox virus, a relative of smallpox. And then, incredibly,...
Dire warning from the world’s most important economy

Dire warning from the world’s most important economy

It’s day 34 of Donald Trump’s government shutdown. And there are very few signs of a breakthrough in the stalemate any time soon. But given this week’s main news, the farce playing out in Congress is just a sideshow. The world has a far bigger problem to deal with,...
How gene-editing could boost your IQ

How gene-editing could boost your IQ

The human body has gone through a lot of changes in the last hundred years. The average lifespan has doubled. People are taller. The number of overweight and obese people has tripled since 1980: one third of the global population is now obese according to The Lancet...
What happens when London runs out of water?

What happens when London runs out of water?

This time last year, the residents of Cape Town faced an apocalyptic scenario. Three years of drought had drained the reservoirs and the city was dangerously close to running out of water. Hospitals and schools began to stockpile. The police braced for riots. At one...