Chinese scientist gets jail for rogue gene editing

A punishment is handed down for performing shocking research on human embryos.

Image source: vchal/arek_malang/Shutterstock/Big Think
  • In November 2018, a Chinese scientist claimed he'd flouted ethics and the law to edit genes in human embryos.
  • Other Chinese scientists call He Jiankui's research "crazy."
  • Three gene-modified babies are now living in China, future uncertain.
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crispr genetics health law justice system hiv bioethics

Great moments in marijuana history are being revealed

David Bienenstock has made it his mission to keep the history of cannabis alive.

Photo courtesy of the author
  • Cannabis journalists David Bienenstock and Abdullah Saeed launched Great Moments in Weed History to share the history of marijuana.
  • They cover hilarious and amazing weed tales about Willie Nelson. Louis Armstrong, Barack Obama, and Fela Kuti.
  • In this interview with Big Think, Bienenstock says it's essential to keep the history of marijuana alive in the corporatized age.
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politics justice system history comedy mental health marijuana

Trump signs PACT Act, making animal torture a federal crime

"For decades, a national anti-cruelty law was a dream for animal protectionists. Today, it is a reality."

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  • All 50 states and local governments have animal cruelty laws, but before this week it was only a federal crime to torture animals in conjunction with so-called "animal crushing" videos.
  • Now, the act of animal torture itself is a federal crime punishable by up to seven years in prison.
  • The bill passed unanimously in the House and the Senate.
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law justice system compassion animals

U.S. court approval of ‘IM GOD’ license plate is a victory for atheists

A federal court ruled that the state of Kentucky was wrong to deny a man's request for a personalized license plate reading "IM GOD." Here's why that's a win against atheist discrimination.

Photo provided by the Freedom From Religion Foundation
  • After a three-year legal battle, a federal court last week cleared the way for a man in Kentucky to obtain a customized license plate declaring "IM GOD."
  • The Kentucky Division of Motor Vehicles rejected the plate in 2016 claiming it violated the state's rule against religious messages on license plates.
  • A state/church watchdog organization says the court's decision to approve the plate highlighted the bias the state of Kentucky was displaying toward religious non-believers.
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god justice system United States atheism

The surveillance technology that will watch us all, all the time

Wide Angle Motion Imagery (WAMI) is a surveillance game-changer. And it's here.

Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images
  • In his new book, Eyes in the Sky, Arthur Holland Michel details the evolution of aerial surveillance technology.
  • Cameras aboard drones can monitor the entirety of 50 square kilometers for hours without refueling.
  • New aerial technologies will create the privacy fights of the future.
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