How much would you be willing to pay for your life? If you’re one of 3,100 young Americans living with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), the current asking price is $475,000. In August of 2017, the FDA approved a groundbreaking gene therapy to treat this specific type of cancer. The treatment is called Kymriah, and […]
Making a Place for Financial Literacy in the Liberal Arts
On the first day of class in Financial Economics at Bowdoin College, Professor Matthew Botsch of the economics department prefaced his lecture with an announcement. Anyone taking the course for the purpose of preparing for a career in finance, investment banking, or consulting should leave, he warned. Botsch is not alone in discouraging such an […]
The Three-Parent Baby: A Year Later
The scientific community is abuzz with reports that a few months ago, following fertility treatments in Mexico, a baby was born in New York to a Jordanian couple. Prior to the birth of this child, the couple had two children. Both suffered from Leigh syndrome, a disease resulting from mitochondrial defects that causes children to […]
Gene Sequencing Advances May Create New Questions Concerning Privacy Rights
The newest innovations in gene sequencing has made the technology accessible and easy to use. This could place genetic privacy at the forefront of the world’s privacy concerns.
One Size Fits Most
The clothing brand Brandy Melville gained notoriety because of its unusual sizing approach: One size fits all. Why is it that limiting sizes is so profitable in women’s clothing?
After Nowhere: Mental Health and Suicide on College Campuses
Suicide rates on college campuses are skyrocketing, placing depression and anxiety at the forefront of conversations about mental health on campuses.
Fixing the Powerhouse of the Cell
The headlines are attention grabbing: “House of Lords Legalizes Three-Parent Babies”. But what exactly is a three-parent baby? And what does their legalization mean? Three-parent babies could be the answer to one of the most common and deadly genetic mutations. Mitochondrial mutations within a developing fetus can lead to crippling diseases throughout the child’s adult […]
Healthcare: The Next Generation
Huntington’s disease (HD) is notoriously deadly. No cure and high rates of heritability make it a death sentence not only for the individual diagnosed, but also for immediate family members. Huntington’s hides inside a person’s genotype, and generally expresses itself when a person reaches 30-50 years of age. It causes the loss of mental faculties and […]
From the Street to the Boutique
Mid-level clothing brands are reaching into the luxury market. Not all of them will succeed.
They Voted No – Now What? Scottish Devolution After the Vote
On September 18, 2014, Scotland held a referendum with only one question on the ballot: Should Scotland become an independent country? In the end, the vote came to 54.2% against an independent Scotland and 45.7% for an independent Scotland. However, this does not mean that the balance of power in the UK will remain the […]