NOVA scienceNOW : 51 – Public Genomes, Algae Fuel, Mystery of the Gakkel Ridge, Yoky Matsuoka – Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XxDBcguYlI

04-09-2012 14:10 Public Genomes - 02:00 A slew of businesses now offer to test your DNA and assess your risk of getting cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. But can genetic testing provide accurate predictions of conditions with complex genetic underpinnings? On another front, researchers at Harvard have launched the Personal Genome Project, enlisting thousands of people to make their DNA sequences and other personal information public on the Internet. The aim is to improve medical research, but what are the risks? Algae Fuel - 15:22 What if you could generate useable biofuels that didn't have the problems associated with corn ethanol or plant-based processes, didn't use arable land or freshwater, and didn't rely on foodstuffs, and that also cost very little and could be "tuned" to produce hydrogen? Well, there is such a thing. It's algae, which just may be our biofuel future. Mystery of the Gakkel Ridge - 29:11 Stretching for more than a thousand miles at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, Gakkel Ridge is an eerie undersea landscape of volcanoes, hydrothermal plumes, and exotic creatures. But while Gakkel Ridge may be unique on Earth, it bears an enticing resemblance to Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons. Could exploring Gakkel bring us one step closer to finding out if Europa might host life? Profile: Yoky Matsuoka - 36:36 Growing up in Japan, Yoky Matsuoka was on her way to becoming a world-class tennis player. When injuries ended her tennis dreams, she turned to another early ...

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NOVA scienceNOW : 51 - Public Genomes, Algae Fuel, Mystery of the Gakkel Ridge, Yoky Matsuoka - Video