The Dead Sea’s Revenge
The story of how humans are killing the Dead Sea—and how only international cooperation may save it.
2013 Guide to Jewish Genetic Diseases
Moment examines the genetic mutations that increase the risk of certain cancers in women and men of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, plus an interview with BRCA gene pioneer Mary-Claire King.
What Does Judaism Say About Organ Donation?
Secular Humanism
For Humanistic Jews, there is no greater value than the sanctity of life. We honor the traditional notion of pikuah nefesh, the concept that...
The Story of Sergey Brin
It takes a bit of searching to find Sergey Brin’s office at the Googleplex. Tucked away in a corner of Building #43 on this sprawling...
Einstein and His God
At home in Berlin in April 1929, Albert Einstein received an urgent telegram from Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein of New York: “Do you believe in...
Was Einstein a Jewish Saint?
As usual, Albert Einstein hadn’t dressed for the occasion.
Most of the 40 or so young men waiting for him that Friday night in January at...
Uncle Xenon: The Elemental Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks opens the door of his lower Manhattan apartment himself because his assistant, Kate Edgar, is in the emergency room with a twisted ankle....
The Secret Life of Jewish Genes
The question of who is a Jew has become a knot of complexities. I once heard Benjamin Netanyahu say in jest at a lunch at The...
The New Gene Cuisine
In Genesis, Jacob asks his father-in-law, Laban, to compensate him for 14 years of unpaid labor. His request is strange: all the speckled and spotted...
Genia Brin’s Double Parkinson’s Mutation
Eugenia Brin was 48 when she first noticed that her left leg was dragging. It took two years for doctors finally to diagnose her with...
Jewish Word | The God Gene
Finding Faith in DNA
Why do some people believe in God, while others don’t? Is it a person’s choice, the result of upbringing or simply divine...
From the Managing Editor
I was nervous when I answered the phone call from Bennett Greenspan, president and CEO of the genetic testing company Family Tree DNA. As part...