Terry Johnson, Author at Gizmodo

iGEM, or How to Build a Biological Organism in a Single Summer

The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition brings undergraduates from around the world to MIT’s campus to share the results of a summer’s worth of synthetic biology research. Each team tries to create the best synthetic organism. Here you can see the iGEM participants (photo courtesy of David Appleyard and iGEM). I’m one of the folks…

io9 Terry Johnson Nov 20

Three Horror Movies That Even a Scientist Could Love

As a scientist I have mixed feelings about SF-oriented horror, which tends to show my lab coat-wearing brethren as myopic, obsessive, morally challenged individuals or as humorless skeptics. When Fringe needed a scientist for its team of white hats, the best they could come up with was a former, vaguely repentant mad scientist. Kind of…

io9 Terry Johnson Nov 6

Where Are My Medical Nanobots?

Reader Wendy asks: When will nanobots clean out my arteries? While medical molecular machines are not likely to appear in the clinic soon, there’s a decent amount of research going into the development of nanoscale robotics, and not only for therapeutic use. One could easily imagine these widgets appearing in diagnostic assays and nano-scale manufacturing.…

io9 Terry Johnson Oct 23

What’s the Future of Cancer Diagnosis?

I talked about the importance of early cancer diagnosis in a previous post, and reader Ian wrote back to ask for more detail. Early detection can be life-saving, but accuracy in these tests is also a serious problem – a test that misses existing cancers is obviously bad, but one that detects cancers that aren’t…

io9 Terry Johnson Oct 9

Will I Evolve Into a Being of Pure Energy?

Welcome back to Ask a Biogeek, a column where biology researcher Terry Johnson answers questions about biology — no matter how weird. Back when I discussed our unlikeliest futures as a species, one commenter added to the list of improbabilities our eventual transcendence into a non-corporeal form. That’s hardly the only evolutionary myth propagated by…

io9 Terry Johnson Sep 18

Where Is My Cure for Cancer?

Welcome back to Ask a Biogeek, a column where you ask biology researcher Terry Johnson any question you want – no matter how weird. Reader Charlie writes: How about an article on the current cutting edge cancer research/treatments? Is there anything out there that is promising? Will there be a cure in our lifetimes? Sadly,…

io9 Terry Johnson Sep 4

What Are the Unlikeliest Futures for the Human Species?

Welcome to Ask a Biogeek, a column where you ask UC Berkeley researcher Terry Johnson any question you want – no matter how weird. Reader Matthew asks: This is an odd question, but is there anything we’re certain isn’t coming? Most of my friends are all starry-eyed optimistic sci-fi readers, and they continually bombard me…

io9 Terry Johnson Aug 21

Son Of “Where Are My Cybernetic Implants?”

Welcome to Ask a Biogeek, a column where you ask UC Berkeley researcher Terry Johnson any question you want – no matter how weird. There seems to be a strong correlation between my posting an article on a subject, and my RSS feeds filling up with exciting new research, which I then wish I’d been…

io9 Terry Johnson Aug 7

Where Is My Hypospray?

Welcome to Ask a Biogeek, a column where you ask UC Berkeley researcher Terry Johnson any question you want — no matter how weird. Reader Mairi proxies the following question: My mom wants to know when we’re going to get needle-less, painless injections. While I personally covet the medical tricorder, I would almost prefer that…

io9 Terry Johnson Jul 17

Where Is My Silicon-Based Life?

Click to viewWelcome back to Ask a Biogeek, a biweekly column where UC Berkeley biology researcher Terry Johnson answers your questions, no matter how weird. Reader Mike asks: Can you speculate on what a silicon based lifeform might look like? What would an “organic chemistry” look like for silicon, instead of carbon? Life on earth…

io9 Terry Johnson Jul 3

Can a Video Game Teach Evolution?

Last week Electronic Arts was kind enough to invite me to a demonstration of Spore‘s creature creator. A few days ago, we told you about Spore, a video game that challenges you to guide a single cell on the bottom of the evolutionary ladder out of the ocean and into civilization. (Here you can see…

io9 Terry Johnson Jun 19

Where Are My Bioengineered Ecologies?

It’s another installment of Ask a Biogeek, a column where UC Berkeley biology researcher Terry Johnson answers all your questions — especially the weird ones. Reader Daniel wonders: As a biologist who studies whole organisms and populations, I find that more and more of biology (in terms of funding, positions and emphasis) is going to…

io9 Terry Johnson Jun 5

Where Are My Cybernetic Implants?

A reader who would like to remain anonymous asks: As a disabled person whose body is basically falling apart (details too gross to go into), I’ve been wondering for a long time when I can get my cyborg transformation underway. What’s the status of materials that are compatible with being implanted in the body? First…

io9 Terry Johnson May 22

Where Is My Uterine Replicator (AKA Artificial Womb)?

Reader Karen asks: One of my favourite sci-fi conceits in the Vorkosigan works of Lois McMaster Bujold is the uterine replicator. Sticking a fetus in a regulated jar until it’s come full term and I can get my new baby boy, girl or hermaphrodite without all the vomiting, constant peeing, strenuous pushing, pooping on the…

io9 Terry Johnson May 8

Where Is My Medical Tricorder?

Reader Juan asks: If not the medical tricorder from Star Trek, when could we possibly see diagnostic equipment capable of scanning for infections, viruses or impending heart attacks, attached to wrist watches or other portable devices? Nothing against the phaser, but for many of us the most coveted piece of away team equipment is the…

io9 Terry Johnson Apr 17

Forget the Jetpack – Where Are My Replacement Organs?

Welcome to Ask a Biogeek, a column about cutting-edge biology by UC Berkeley researcher Terry Johnson. Knowing which organs you can live without is all well and good, but wouldn’t you rather have replacement organs? Tissue engineers already have some pretty good ones if you happen to lose your skin or severely damage your bones.…

io9 Terry Johnson Apr 3

Terry Johnson

iGEM, or How to Build a Biological Organism in a Single Summer

Three Horror Movies That Even a Scientist Could Love

Where Are My Medical Nanobots?

What’s the Future of Cancer Diagnosis?

Will I Evolve Into a Being of Pure Energy?

Where Is My Cure for Cancer?

What Are the Unlikeliest Futures for the Human Species?

Son Of “Where Are My Cybernetic Implants?”

Where Is My Hypospray?

Where Is My Silicon-Based Life?

Can a Video Game Teach Evolution?

Where Are My Bioengineered Ecologies?

Where Are My Cybernetic Implants?

Where Is My Uterine Replicator (AKA Artificial Womb)?

Where Is My Medical Tricorder?

Forget the Jetpack – Where Are My Replacement Organs?

Marshall Acton III Home Speaker Drops to a Record Low, the Deal Countdown Has Already Started

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

I’m Worried About the Helpless AI Disruptors of the Future

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Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

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