How to Motivate Your Monkey
Our September issue reports the discontinuation of the human trials Avigen was conducting on a new hemophilia treatment–the latest of many setbacks in the commercialization of gene therapy. But basic research in the field has continued undaunted, with results that may strike you as either astounding or terrifying, depending on how you feel about the prospect of genetically modifying your personality.
Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health have used gene therapy to “cure” monkeys of their tendency to procrastinate. Similar treatments could eventually benefit people suffering from depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder; but they could also take the debate about the “medicalization” of psychological characteristics into a whole new arena.
Deep Dive
Uncategorized

It will soon be easy for self-driving cars to hide in plain sight. We shouldn’t let them.
If they ever hit our roads for real, other drivers need to know exactly what they are.

Maximize business value with data-driven strategies
Every organization is now collecting data, but few are truly data driven. Here are five ways data can transform your business.

Cryptocurrency fuels new business opportunities
As adoption of digital assets accelerates, companies are investing in innovative products and services.

Yann LeCun has a bold new vision for the future of AI
One of the godfathers of deep learning pulls together old ideas to sketch out a fresh path for AI, but raises as many questions as he answers.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.