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Carleton Gajdusek won the Nobel for his work on a disease in Papua New Guinea. But his biggest experiment was on the children he took back to the U.S. As a boy, Luwi Ikabala moved with Carleton Gajdusek to the U.S. "I am the son of one of the world's greatest scientists," Luwi said. Luwi uses a yellow cooking-oil cannister for a chair. On a good day, he makes enough money from hemming sleeves and mending torn clothes to buy a bag of rice. As he waits for customers, he reads novels, copying passages that he likes into his journal. His favorite author is Fyodor Dostoyevsky. He has kept a journal for the past forty years, giving the entries headings such as "Air of freedom," "As I recall her--'the past,' " "About Weakness," and "Who am I?" Luwi often feels like the "poorest man that ever lived on this planet earth," "a perfect example of a failure." He approaches strangers on the street and asks about their problems, until he sees an opening to "touch them emotionally."

Researchers found that a metabolite produced by gut bacteria can weaken the barrier that protects the brain and promote changes associated with the cognitive disease. For years, scientists have known that the gut microbiome of people with Alzheimer's differs from that of healthy people. What remains unclear is whether these differences are a consequence of the disease, contribute to it, or simply accompany it. It is possible that part of the puzzle lies not in the gut bacteria themselves but in the molecules they produce, which end up circulating throughout the body. A team of scientists believes it has found one such molecule.

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Startups and Big Ag are using Crispr gene editing to create crops that taste better and grow on a hotter planet. But will they find a market? If you wanted to create better blackberries, you could try to breed a variety without the seeds that get stuck in your teeth. Or one without the thorns that make the berries hard to pick. Or you could aim for more environmentally efficient plants that produce more berries per acre with less water and fewer chemicals.

The use of AI systems to create viruses opens up new possibilities for combating bacterial resistance. It also raises concerns about the pace at which technology is outstripping regulation. For the first time, an artificial intelligence system has created a series of previously unknown viruses capable of infecting and eliminating certain types of bacteria. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for combating bacterial resistance . However, it also raises concerns about the potential misuse of this technology to design biological weapons.

You're viewing the US edition You can switch to the UK or AU homepage at any time using this menu. Six-foot-10 former Knicks and Celtics star officially declares for WNBA Draft as league's trans debate explodes Trio of women - two of them transgender - tortured boy, 7, to death - but remembered to take their pet for its vaccines as victim lay at death's door, prosecutors say Watch the moment Trump's eyes go wide as he's presented with a'ball of gold' America's young dementia epidemic: The 14 lifestyle habits driving early-onset cases revealed by world-leading experts... and changes that can REVERSE your risk Why Costco's little-known in-store perk is winning over shoppers who say it's'faster, cheaper and so much nicer' than the competition Keith Urban's secret'RELIEF' about Nicole Kidman's new lover: Friends say she may finally let go of'hold over him' as daughters meet beau... and brutal question that sparked ugly split Watch the moment two middle-aged men are escorted out of ...

Artificial Intelligence has been used to design brand new viruses that are fully functional and can replicate in the laboratory, say US researchers. It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI. The resulting 16 novel viruses were created to infect bacteria and pose no threat to people. The breakthrough has been labelled a very significant turning point in science that could unlock a new era for treating disease. But experts have also warned AI-designed viruses raise urgent safety and security concerns.

You're viewing the US edition You can switch to the UK or AU homepage at any time using this menu. Six-foot-10 former Knicks and Celtics star officially declares for WNBA Draft as league's trans debate explodes Trio of women - two of them transgender - tortured boy, 7, to death - but remembered to take their pet for its vaccines as victim lay at death's door, prosecutors say Declassified UFO files reveal hunt for'dead spaceman' after mysterious sphere crashed in city America's young dementia epidemic: The 14 lifestyle habits driving early-onset cases revealed by world-leading experts... and changes that can REVERSE your risk Why Costco's little-known in-store perk is winning over shoppers who say it's'faster, cheaper and so much nicer' than the competition Keith Urban's secret'RELIEF' about Nicole Kidman's new lover: Friends say she may finally let go of'hold over him' as daughters meet beau... and brutal question that sparked ugly split Watch the moment two middle-aged men are ...

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