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question 8: how far may we go in manipulating plants?

As scientists successively reveal the genetic makeup of plants, they are also creating sharper tools for altering parts of the genetic code. What implications does this have? Advances are taking us further and further from what is 'natural'. Can we keep up?  Read more

question 28: how closely related are we to other organisms?

All living things are related – some more closely than others. You are actually closer to the mushrooms on your plate than to the lettuce! You can see this if you study the amount of difference and similarity in our genes. Just now, biologists are mapping a common family tree for all life on Earth.  Read more

question 29: can we grow human spare parts in the lab?

Damaged body organs replaced with new, healthy ones grown from the patient's own stem cells? Can this be the health care of the future – cultivating new organs in laboratories? What are the limits to the possibilities of stem-cell research?  Read more

question 32: what is a human?

We are human beings. We breathe, we grow, laugh and cry. Biologically we are animals, as Linnaeus realized back in his time. But unlike all other animal species, we can reflect on why we are here. So what exactly is a human being?  Read more