NYC company develops simple swab test that can tell how well you’re aging

NYC company develops simple swab test that can tell how well you’re aging

Cheek, please! A biotechnology company headquartered in Manhattan has developed an “aging” clock that uses information from the cells in your cheeks to predict your biological age. Biological age is the age of your cells and tissues — this number can differ from your chronological age, which is the number of years you’ve been alive. … Read more

DNA from world’s oldest cheese extracted from an unusual source — mummies

DNA from world’s oldest cheese extracted from an unusual source — mummies

It’s aged — 3,600 years. Scientists have successfully pulled a DNA strand from what they believe to be the world’s oldest cheese, yanking it from Bronze Age mummies in a Chinese graveyard, circa 2,000 B.C. The dairy delight is kefir cheese — a modern-day cream cheese health substitute — and was found strangely smeared or … Read more

Lightning sparked all of life on Earth, say Harvard scientists: ‘One of the great unanswered questions’

Lightning sparked all of life on Earth, say Harvard scientists: ‘One of the great unanswered questions’

The scientific community has been electrified by this new theory. The inception of life on Earth may have been the result of chemical reactions sparked by lightning strikes, a new study from Harvard suggests. “The origin of life is one of the great unanswered questions facing chemistry,” said senior author George M. Whitesides. Lightning may … Read more

Michael Douglas astounded Scarlett Johansson is his ‘DNA cousin’: ‘Are you kidding?’

Michael Douglas astounded Scarlett Johansson is his ‘DNA cousin’: ‘Are you kidding?’

It seems talent runs in the family for actor Michael Douglas. During a recent episode of the PBS show “Finding Your Roots,” which examines celebrities’ ancestral backgrounds, Douglas learned, much to his astonishment, that he’s related to another famous actor. After the program produced all that it could via “paper trail,” it turned to genetics and … Read more

Neo-Nazi who inspired Edward Norton’s ‘American History X’ skinhead is now an observant Jew thanks to DNA discovery

Neo-Nazi who inspired Edward Norton’s ‘American History X’ skinhead is now an observant Jew thanks to DNA discovery

The neo-Nazi who inspired Edward Norton’s skinhead character in “American History X” has revealed he is now an observant Jew after turning his life around — and discovering his heritage through DNA testing. Frank Meeink, 48, became a leader of a violent ultra-right group in the early 1990s, torturing enemies who stood in the way … Read more

Same-sex parents could conceive children with shared DNA using skin cells: fertility study

Same-sex parents could conceive children with shared DNA using skin cells: fertility study

Inconceivable. A new study has shown scientists that a solution is on the horizon for those suffering from infertility, as well as some same-sex couples whose current option for a biological child is to outsource at least one parent. The proposed treatment — which employs the same process used to create Dolly, the sheep cloned … Read more

Humans lost their tails during evolution — and NYU scientists think they’ve figured out why

Humans lost their tails during evolution — and NYU scientists think they’ve figured out why

They’re not monkeying around with this breakthrough. Researchers from New York University Langone Health may have finally learned how early humans took a major step away from predecessor primates in the evolutionary process — by no longer growing tails starting 25 million years ago. “Our study begins to explain how evolution removed our tails, a … Read more

I dated my half-brother in high school — it’s not my fault, I was lied to about my DNA

I dated my half-brother in high school — it’s not my fault, I was lied to about my DNA

A Connecticut woman is speaking out after learning she unknowingly dated her half-brother in high school — after years of being left in the dark regarding the true identity of her biological father. Victoria Hill, 39, recently made the gut-wrenching discovery after it was revealed that her mother was wrongfully artificially inseminated by fertility doctor Burton … Read more

Merda! Italian province orders all pooches DNA tested in poop pick-up crackdown

Merda! Italian province orders all pooches DNA tested in poop pick-up crackdown

It’s a doggy-doo whodunnit. A province in northern Italy has resorted to elaborate DNA testing to find four-legged perps whose owners don’t clean up after their furry friends defecate all over beautiful Bolzano. Now, pooch parents are required to submit their pups for a DNA swab test as a tracing mechanism to easily identify culprits … Read more

‘Non-human’ alien corpses are just dolls made of human and animal bones, paper: experts

‘Non-human’ alien corpses are just dolls made of human and animal bones, paper: experts

The results are in. The tiny “non-human” mummified remains found in Peru over the summer that spurred dozens of alien conspiracy theories are nothing more than dolls, forensic experts ruled. The creepy figures — with only three fingers on each hand and elongated ET-style heads — are made with paper, glue, metal and human and animal bones, … Read more

6 traits you can thank Neanderthals for — from bad habits to bed times

6 traits you can thank Neanderthals for — from bad habits to bed times

Part of the club? Research shows that many humans have Neanderthal DNA. People with European or Asian backgrounds have 1% to 2% and as much as 4% if they are from East Asia — thanks to human-Neanderthal interbreeding. Because Neanderthals likely evolved outside of Africa, some African populations have almost no Neanderthal DNA. Now, a genetic engineer is … Read more

Whoopi Goldberg completely stunned to learn Tony Gonzalez is her ‘DNA cousin’

Whoopi Goldberg completely stunned to learn Tony Gonzalez is her ‘DNA cousin’

Whoopi Goldberg received a shocking DNA revelation. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the host of the genealogy show “Finding Your Roots” on PBS, stopped by “The View” on Tuesday and gave the 68-year-old Goldberg some news about her heritage. Goldberg had actually appeared on the series — when it was called “African American Lives” more than … Read more

Loch Ness Monster DNA revealed? Mysterious ‘blob monster’ origins detailed in study

Loch Ness Monster DNA revealed? Mysterious ‘blob monster’ origins detailed in study

The anatomy of Nessie may be closer to the Swamp Thing than Godzilla. Apparently, the Loch Ness Monster is made of algae, according to DNA samples taken from the waters of Scotland’s Borlum Bay, where the deep sea beast supposedly prowls and has been allegedly spotted in the past. In one of the largest investigations … Read more

Remembering Matthew Perry’s comic genius: funny bone was in his DNA

Remembering Matthew Perry’s comic genius: funny bone was in his DNA

Matthew Perry’s impact on television cannot be overstated. When a star dies unexpectedly, the rush to brand them a “genius” sometimes blunts their impact because the word is thrown around too often. But you can’t fool the public with false praise. They know a true icon. That’s why no one questioned the genius of Robin … Read more

I took a DNA test — my son isn’t my biological child, but I don’t care

I took a DNA test — my son isn’t my biological child, but I don’t care

A 30-year-old’s confession about shocking DNA test results has birthed a debate on Reddit about the importance of genetics in parenting. “I was devastated, but I decided that I was not going to say anything to anyone,” the man shared about secretly learning he is not his son’s biological father. “Realistically, it doesn’t change much.” … Read more

Parents terrified their babies will inherit unknown genetic conditions: poll

Parents terrified their babies will inherit unknown genetic conditions: poll

Two in five American parents think they know everything there is to know about their biological family’s health history, a new survey suggests. Despite less than half (38%) knowing all of their biological family’s health history, nine in 10 parents polled agreed knowing this is an important part of knowing their own health risks. That’s … Read more

Bad hair day? Blame your genes, new study says

Bad hair day? Blame your genes, new study says

Your bad hair day could be written in your DNA. Genetic variations could be to blame for your wicked bed head, a new study found, as researchers discover more about the role genes play in hair patterns. The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, explored the phenomenon of hair whorls — circular patterns … Read more

My father was a sperm donor, I took a DNA test and found out I have 65 half-siblings

My father was a sperm donor, I took a DNA test and found out I have 65 half-siblings

A Maryland woman who was conceived via sperm donation recently took a DNA test and discovered that she has 65 brothers and sisters all over North America. Brenna Siperko, a 20-year-old who was raised Ellicott City, Maryland, had known for most of her life that she was a sperm donor baby, but only recently found out how … Read more

‘DNA diet’ discovery paves the way for ‘personalized’ weight loss menu

‘DNA diet’ discovery paves the way for ‘personalized’ weight loss menu

The discovery of hundreds of genes that directly influence what we choose to eat paves the way for personalized healthy diet plans, say scientists. They believe new insights into the genetic basis for food preferences could help improve nutrition on an individual basis. In one of the first large-scale studies of genes related to diet, … Read more

Dad’s genes make baby ‘greedy’ and ‘manipulate’ mom in the womb

Dad’s genes make baby ‘greedy’ and ‘manipulate’ mom in the womb

Every womb is a battlefield. There’s a tug of war happening whenever a fetus is developing, as the baby needs nutrients from the mother to grow. But the mother needs enough nutrients in her system for her own health and to safely deliver the baby and then breastfeed her newborn. The conflict between those two … Read more