CRISPR, Colors, Narwhals. June 15, 2018, Part 2

CRISPR, Colors, Narwhals. June 15, 2018, Part 2

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Over less than a decade, the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 has taken the biology world by storm. But two new studies indicate that there could be a downside to the CRISPR approach.

Did you know a blue jay’s feathers and a butterfly’s wings aren’t actually blue? Neither are your blue eyes. From the colors we see in flowers and birds, to the hues we use in art and decoration, there’s more than one way to make a rainbow—and it all starts with molecules and structures that are too small to see.

The elusive narwhal has captured the imaginations of many people. Now, scientists have outfitted a group of narwhals with audio tags that allowed them to capture their echolocation and communication sounds.