Over the past decade, we have heard about the “fat gene,” the “diabetes gene,” the “alcoholism gene,” the “intelligence gene,” even the “God gene.” In the end, none of these so-called discoveries proved correct.Genetics is more complex than scientists imagined. We have discovered highly predictive genes for about 2,000 rare ailments, such as Huntington’s disease, but not for most common diseases such as cancer and diabetes. This hasn’t prevented companies such as 23andMe Inc. from selling direct

Viewpoints Dec. 8, 2013

NAIROBI ― Before I knew that Nelson Mandela existed, I thought our then-leader, Kenyan President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, was the world’s only statesman. I was five years old, and no world existed for me outside Nairagie Enkare, my birthplace in rural Maasailand. Moi was a mythical figure to me, because he didn’t live in Nairagie Enkare, yet he was always present through radio, a technology too complicated for a child like me to understand.Every newscast from the government-controlled radio st

Viewpoints Dec. 8, 2013

“He lies like an eyewitness.” It’s an old Russian saying, of uncertain provenance but enduring popularity among the defense bar. Unfortunately, there is truth to the proverb ― and the result is that too many innocent people go to jail for crimes they didn’t commit, and too many of the guilty go free.A new report issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Justice and the International Association of Chiefs of Police shows how common wrongful convictions are and suggests ways to help prevent them. D

Viewpoints Dec. 6, 2013

Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party now have their work cut out for them as the National Assembly has been normalized after a long paralysis.The chairmen and floor leaders of the two parties reached a breakthrough agreement Tuesday night, ending the protracted political impasse. They agreed to set up two special parliamentary panels, one to reform the National Intelligence Service and the other to rewrite local election rules. They also agreed to pass t

Editorial Dec. 5, 2013

The controversy over the resignation of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook has been rekindled as a Cheong Wa Dae official was found to have been involved in the illegal perusal of personal information about a child alleged to be the top prosecutor’s illegitimate son.Chae denied the allegation, raised by a Korean daily in September, that he had fathered a son out of wedlock. But he resigned as head of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, saying that such allegations made it difficult for him to

Editorial Dec. 5, 2013

PARIS ― Tens of thousands of protesters are flooding the streets of Ukraine, blocking access to government offices and threatening to start what the media is largely (and preemptively, if not mistakenly) referring to as a “revolution.” All this over the pro-Russian Ukraine leadership’s decision to renounce a free-trade agreement with Europe that would have represented a shift away from the Russian sphere of influence.Except that this is no revolution, at least not yet, and people around the worl

Viewpoints Dec. 5, 2013

Twice in his career, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has faced crowds in the hundreds of thousands calling for him to step aside. The first time was in 2004, when he attempted to steal the presidential elections. The second was this weekend, after he decided not to sign a trade agreement with the European Union.As a cause of popular unrest, “not signing a trade agreement” does not quite rank with “stealing an election.” That Ukrainians protested both is an indication not only of their desp

Viewpoints Dec. 4, 2013

Don’t look now, but auditions for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination are already under way in Washington. And the flavor of the moment is ― governors.First came Chris Christie, the pugnacious governor of New Jersey, who won reelection by a landslide last month and almost immediately headed to the nation’s capital for a burst of speeches and television appearances.Days later, a less pyrotechnic (but equally combative) chief executive arrived to do the Washington media rounds: Scott Walke

Viewpoints Dec. 4, 2013

With characteristic concern for coolness over commercial viability, Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos unveiled a new kind of delivery vehicle Sunday night. It’s called an octocopter, and it will fly all by itself, attuned to GPS coordinates, dropping off goods at customers’ doorsteps for same-day delivery.Or at least that’s what Bezos, a consummate PR man, told a wide-eyed Charlie Rose on “60 Minutes.” The octocopter unveiling was masterful publicity, properly hyped and well tim

Viewpoints Dec. 4, 2013

Technology and revolutionary changes in energy, banking and manufacturing will force a sunset on Western dominance.Several speakers at the Second World Emerging Industries Summit in this central China city on the Yangtze River shared that forecast recently with business, government and university officials from nearly two dozen countries. “Technology creates new possibilities,” said Dominique de Villepin, former prime minister of France.Global dominance will shift to such countries as China, Ind

Viewpoints Dec. 4, 2013

The Seoul government is set to finalize a plan to expand its air defense identification zone in response to China’s proclamation on Nov. 23 of a new zone that overlaps those of Korea and Japan.China’s new ADIZ is seen as primarily aimed at bolstering its claim to a group of islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The islands are under Japan’s control, but China also claims sovereignty over them.The problem is that China’s new defense perimeter also includes Ie

Editorial Dec. 3, 2013