NextDraft: The Most-Wanted Cells and Other Fascinating News on the Web

The World’s Most Popular Petri Dish You may not have heard of Henrietta Lacks. But if you are in the medical research industry, you definitely know her name. Lacks died of cervical cancer back in 1951. After she died, doctors realized that her cells could thrive in a lab. That was a first. In the decades since, Henrietta’s “cells have been the subject of more than 74,000 studies, many of which have yielded profound insights into cell biology, vaccines, in vitro fertilization and cancer.” It wasn’t until 1973 that anyone in Lack’s family had any idea that her cells were being used in this way. And as of this week, the family has finally been given some say in how Lacks’ cells are used. The cells in question are more than sixty years old, but their use provides an insight into the privacy and personal issues related to studying genomes. + If you want to learn more about this story, I’ve heard great things about Rebecca Skloot’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Company Closes to Avoid Sharing Data “I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on — the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise.” Email service provider Lavabit shut down in order to avoid sharing data with the feds. Edward Snowden was reportedly one of their customers. From The New Yorker’s Amy Davidson, The N.S.A. and Its Targets. + This recycling bin is stalking you. From what I can tell, most people don’t seem too fazed by intrusions into online privacy (in fact, most people respond by voluntarily sharing even more). But I wonder if being targeted based on the location of you and your cellphone will change people’s minds a bit. + Slate: How the FBI used a baby-faced WikiLeaks volunteer to spy on Julian Assange. Weekend Reads “The team



via NewsFeed | TIME.com http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/08/09/the-most-wanted-cells-and-other-fascinating-news-on-the-web/