As the recent outbreak in Germany shows, meat processing facilities offer perfect conditions for the transmission of coronaviruses, with cool temperatures and people cramped in close quarters. Additional changes are needed to protect workers – and theoretically even consumers. By Philip Bethge If there is a paradise for SARS-CoV-2, it would probably be a slaughterhouse. […]
Tag Archives | health
What the Coronavirus Does Inside the Body
SARS-CoV-2 does much more damage to the human body than initially assumed. It can attack any number of organs and even penetrates the brain. But why do some people experience worse symptoms than others? By Philip Bethge The pathogen has already done a fair bit of damage. It has only been five days since the […]
Totgespritzt
Es steckt im Tierfutter, im Brot, in der Milch: Das Pestizid Glyphosat belastet seit Jahrzehnten die Umwelt, weltweit. Forscher warnen vor Missbildungen und Krebs. Wie gefährlich ist der Stoff wirklich? Von Philip Bethge – DER SPIEGEL 24/2015 Das Unheil kam langsam über den Hof von Helge Voss. Zuerst gaben die Kühe weniger Milch, ihr Kot war […]
The Wizard of Stem Cell Science: Robert Lanza and the Dawning of a New Era of Hope
Ethical worries have slowed medical research into applications for stem cells. But scientists like Robert Lanza have developed less controversial ways to derive stem cells from normal body cells rather than embryos and are already launching the first clinical trials. By Philip Bethge Stem cell researcher Robert Lanza hopes to save thousands of lives — […]
SPIEGEL Blog: Surrogate Mother (Not Yet) Sought for Neanderthal
An interview published last week by SPIEGEL with American genetic scientist George Church has sparked frenetic media speculation about a supposed plan to bring the Neanderthal back from the dead. Church feels his remarks were mistranslated, but it was other media outlets that twisted his words. “Wanted: Surrogate Mother For Neanderthal,” screamed an article in […]
Interview with George Church: Can Neanderthals Be Brought Back from the Dead?
In a SPIEGEL interview, synthetic biology expert George Church of Harvard University explains how DNA will become the building material of the future — one that can help create virus-resistant human beings and possibly bring back lost species like the Neanderthal. –> Update: The Interview has sparked frenetic media speculation about a supposed plan to […]
Antibiotics Prove Powerless as Super-Germs Spread
Antibiotics were once the wonder drug. Now, however, an increasing number of highly resistant — and deadly — bacteria are spreading around the world. The killer bugs often originate in factory farms, where animals are treated whether they are sick or not. By SPIEGEL Staff The pathogens thrive in warm, moist environments. They feel comfortable in […]