How Many Undiscovered Blood Groups Are There?
You may think that you know your blood type, but did you know that there are in fact 35 blood group systems in humans? These include well-known systems such as ABO and the Rh system (formerly known as ‘Rhesus’). Advances in research technologies in the past few years have made it possible to identify three…
How The Hot Zone Created the Worst Myths About Ebola
As an infectious disease epidemiologist and a science communicator in the midst of the biggest Ebola outbreak in history, The Hot Zone is one of the banes of my existence. The Hot Zone was first released in 1994, the year I graduated high school. Like many readers, that book and Laurie Garrett’s The Coming Plague…
Inside the Science of Sharing Rare Blood
His doctor drove him over the border. It was quicker that way: if the man donated in Switzerland, his blood would be delayed while paperwork was filled out and authorisations sought. The nurse in Annemasse, France, could tell from the label on the blood bag destined for Paris that this blood was pretty unusual. But…
Another Reason Why Freezing Employees’ Eggs Is A Terrible Idea
Facebook and Apple’s decision to offer female employees a $20,000 benefit to freeze their eggs indicates a stunning disregard for the complexities of reproductive biology. The Center for Genetics and Society issued a news release that listed societal, technological, and biological concerns: the danger of freezing eggs to both the woman and the individual that…