Good morning. It's Tuesday, Jan. 13, and welcome to this week's Science & Technology newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
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As we reflected on 2025, we were reminded that May saw personalized CRISPR gene-editing therapy used to treat a patient for the first time, prompting us to explore where the technology came from and what more we can expect from it in the years to come. We're also opening the book on Wikipedia to celebrate its 25th birthday on Thursday, before breaking down what we know about nuclear power.
Let us know what you think! Whether it's feedback on our email format, a comment on this week's topics, suggestions for future coverage, or something else, we're happy to hear from readers. You can get in touch by simply replying to this email.
—Marco Daniel Machado, 1440 Science & Technology Section Editor |
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What is CRISPR?
CRISPR is a molecular tool that can make precise changes to a gene's DNA. An acronym for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats," the tool was discovered in single-celled organisms, where it acts as an immune system to attack invasive viruses. Scientists have since used it to target and manipulate precise sections of DNA—the genetic blueprints for living things.
Each CRISPR has two parts—a "guide RNA" designed to latch onto a specific region of the DNA molecules and a Cas protein that cuts the targeted area (explore simulation). Cells try to repair the cut but often do so incorrectly, effectively deactivating that part of the blueprint (watch visualization). These deactivations can be used as medical treatments by selecting problematic genetic blueprints, such as those that cause an increased likelihood of getting cancer.
Dozens of clinical trials are underway for treatments that utilize CRISPR to address a range of diseases and allergies. Scientists are also utilizing CRISPR to develop new crops for food production, enhance the resilience of existing crops, and improve the sustainability of farming practices (learn more).
Also, check out ...
> Scientists have crossbred heat-resistant corals using CRISPR. (Read)
> Astronauts have repaired DNA in space using CRISPR. (Read)
> How CRISPR can drive malaria mosquitoes to extinction. (Read)
> The wartime apparel made with CRISPR-modified bacteria. (View)
Explore everything else we've found on CRISPR. |
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The Collaborative Encyclopedia |
Wikipedia, 101
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that is free to read and edit. It contains over 66 million articles in more than 340 languages, collaboratively written and maintained by more than 250,000 active volunteer editors called Wikipedians. As of 2025, it is one of the 10 most visited sites in the world, with 1.5 billion unique monthly site visits.
Wikipedia was launched in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger as an offshoot of Nupedia, which published expert-written articles online following extensive peer review (learn more). After producing just 21 articles in their first year, the pair sought a faster method of content output by using wikis—publicly editable websites, whose name derives from the Hawaiian word for "quick"—to feed content to Nupedia. However, it was quickly eclipsed by Wikipedia, which had nearly 20,000 articles after its first year, and Nupedia was shut down in 2003.
Opting against ads to maintain its neutrality, Wikipedia is instead financed by the Wikimedia Foundation. The nonprofit manages grants and millions of small donations annually to fund various projects, including Wiktionary and Wikimedia Commons (learn more). Alongside human moderation and specific editorial policies, automated bots have helped prevent and undo vandalism on the site, though studies on Wikipedia's reliability are mixed. The site has been criticized for ideological and gender biases among its editors and has been blocked by multiple governments.
Also, check out ...
> Wikipedia's puzzle globe logo was developed by a 17-year-old. (View)
> The unofficial Wikipedia theme song is based on an Eagles single. (Listen)
> How coverage of 9/11 shaped Wikipedia's editorial policies. (Read)
> The connection between Wikipedia and the 1403 Ming dynasty emperor. (Read)
Explore everything else we've found on Wikipedia. |
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Nuclear Power, explained
Nuclear power is electricity derived from the energy at the core of an atom. Energy is released when the nucleus splits (fission) or merges with the nucleus of another atom (fusion). Nuclear power accounts for nearly 20% of electricity production in the US and 10% worldwide (see map of US nuclear facilities).
All commercially operating nuclear plants generate power through fission, and most use uranium as fuel. When a neutron hits a uranium atom, it splits, releasing more neutrons that split more uranium atoms (watch visualization). The chain reaction releases energy with each split, which is used to boil water. The resulting steam is funneled through a large turbine, causing it to spin and produce electricity. Control rods can be inserted or withdrawn from the reactor core to adjust the reaction rate, thereby controlling the power production (see diagram).
Spent nuclear fuel must be carefully cooled and buried underground because it's highly radioactive and capable of damaging or killing cells in living things (disposal methods, explained). Reactor meltdowns are rare but dangerous accidents that occur when a reactor core overheats and melts. Radioactive materials can escape into the surrounding area, poisoning nearby communities and ecosystems.
Also, check out ...
> Small modular reactors can provide nuclear power with reduced risks. (Watch)
> AI's growing energy demands may drive an increase in nuclear power. (Read)
> What sonic booms and the blue light from nuclear reactor pools have in common. (Watch)
> Manage the control room of a virtual nuclear power plant. (Explore)
Explore everything else we've found on nuclear power. |
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Like all great scientists, we love spending time researching the latest scientific breakthroughs, tech releases, engaging explainers, and the connections between science and society that are making headlines. Here's what we found this week.
> Mapping the neural network behind bone repair
Johns Hopkins Medicine | Michael E. Newman. A multi-institutional team has shown that sensory neurons in mice responsible for reporting bone fractures also send protein signals to bone-building cells to promote growth and healing. Identifying these signals provides a target for drugs involved in promoting bone repair. (Read)
> Using AI to rapidly develop optical metasurfaces
Penn State | Staff. These engineered materials can manipulate light based on their structures, but designing them involved monthslong simulation time. Using an LLM to predict how they influence light, the new optimization process can design metasurfaces in milliseconds to speed up camera lens manufacturing. (Read)
> Discovering a hidden source of gamma rays from solar flares
NJIT | Jesse Jenkins. Scientists have found a previously unknown class of high-energy particles in the sun’s upper atmosphere responsible for generating puzzling radiation signals observed during major solar flare events. The finding is expected to help improve models of solar activity and space weather forecasting. (Read)
> Identifying genes that regulate the rate of DNA instability as we age
UCLA Health | Staff. An analysis of genetic data from over 900,000 people shows that certain stretches of DNA made up of short, repeating sequences—a cause of more than 60 inherited disorders—become longer and more unstable as we age, with dozens of genes found to speed up or slow down this process by up to fourfold. The study may open the door to treatments that could slow disease progression. (Read)
> Explore the best products from CES 2026
PCMag | Staff. While headlines from the Consumer Technology Association's trade show focused heavily on AI and robots, the CNET Group of technology publishers identified several other notable innovations, including delivering electricity through the air, bionic footwear assistive technology, and a perimenopause tracker. (Read) |
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"The more we know, the more we realize there is to know." |
—Jennifer Doudna, coinventor of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool |
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