🎬Smart kids

October 23, 2024

Good morning. Today, we regret to inform you that millipedes weren’t real…

…until they were. You see, millipede translates to “a thousand feet”, but the most legs found on any millipede ever was 750. A while ago, however, scientists revealed they found a millipede species in western Australia with 1,306 legs, the most of any living creature on Earth. Now, that’s a lot of toenails to clip.

— Edna Akanni, Tayo Davies

HEALTH TECH
Genetic screening of embryos for IQ is causing a stir

Alliance VITA/Getty

A US-based biotech startup is promising prospective parents smarter children through the controversial and expensive practice of genetically screening embryos, according to a report from The Guardian.

In a business model borrowed from the plot of Gattaca, Heliospect Genomics is said to be charging up to $50,000 to test 100 embryos for genetic markers linked to higher intelligence and claiming it can increase a child’s IQ by at least six points. Five couples had already used Heliospect’s genomic prediction algorithm to select embryos by late 2023, the founders reportedly said. The company assured The Guardian it is following all laws and regulations in the US, where this service is legal.

You won’t believe this, but…wealthy people looking to create offspring who can crush a game of ‘4 pics 1 word’ is raising ethical concerns. Katie Hasson, associate director of California’s Center for Genetics and Society, told The Guardian that this type of science “normalizes this idea of ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ genetics.”

There are no guarantees this can even work: Researchers in Japan recently published a paper that concluded screening for desirable genetic traits in embryos is unreliable, one reason being that traits like IQ aren’t determined by a single genetic mutation. Shinichi Namba, a research associate at the University of Tokyo, said that people who avail themselves of these services should understand the potential for high variability in results. -EA.

TRENDING
Standing desks aren’t helping your health much

Stand Steady/Shutterstock

Well, that made us feel good about ourselves while it lasted—but standing at your computer doesn’t make your lifestyle any less sedentary, and doing it for two or more hours per day could even increase risks of swollen or clotted veins in the legs, according to a new study. Researchers found that standing more doesn’t do anything to boost heart health or reduce the risk of stroke. Instead, they recommended the age-old tip for feeling good: Move your body throughout the day—go for a walk, opt for the stairs, take quick breaks from your desk, and exercise.

SHOWER THOUGHTS

“Everyone knows what soups and sauces are, but no one knows the exact point where a sauce becomes a soup and vice versa.”

NEWS
Round the continent

  • The BRICS Summit kicked off yesterday in Moscow, and the only African member, South Africa is already making moves.

  • Tunisian President Kais Saied has been sworn in for a second term, and Tunisian media wasn’t even allowed to cover the event.

  •  The US has launched a probe into the killing of two opposition figures ahead of the pronouncement of last week’s presidential election results in Mozambique.

  • Springboks superstar captain, Siya Kolisi and his wife have announced their separation.

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