How those CRISPR babies could hinder China

CRISPR babies and other ethical missteps in science threaten China's global standing [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 4 December 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair [Support The Conversation. Our board will match your gift.]( Editor's note Science in the 21st century is a collaborative endeavor, often with large research groups cooperating across international borders. For that reason, the global outcry in response to last week’s surprise announcement out of China of gene-edited babies could create problems for Chinese researchers – and the country’s global ambitions. Already tarnished by cases of scientific fraud and violations of intellectual property rights, China’s research reputation has taken another big hit. As The Ohio State University’s Caroline Wagner points out, [who wants to partner with someone you can’t trust](? Americans are spending ever-increasing amounts of their time glued to their phones – almost three and a half hours a day per adult in 2017. Research shows excessive technology use is linked to depression, accidents and even death. Perhaps ironically, software developers and smartphone makers are responding by designing apps that help us use our phones less. Behavioral scientist Ashley Whillans [offers a brief guide]( based on the latest research in her field on which ones are the best to help you unplug. Last month, when Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrived in Washington to meet with the press, some were quick to criticize her outfits. How could an advocate for the poor wear such stylish outfits and still be taken seriously? To Case Western Reserve University gender and fashion historian Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, [it’s an all-too-familiar line of attack](. Maggie Villiger Science + Technology Editor Top Stories China’s military may bear the brunt of hits to the country’s scientific reputation. Roman Pilipey/Pool Photo via AP [CRISPR babies and other ethical missteps in science threaten China’s global standing]( Caroline Wagner, The Ohio State University In an era of big scientific collaborations, China's renegade actions have hurt its reputation. As international researchers back away, it may be the country's military that ultimately suffers. Just sitting on a park bench, completely ignoring each other. Vlad Teodor/shutterstock.com [Spending too much time on your phone? Behavioral science has an app for that]( Ashley Whillans, Harvard Business School Americans are spending almost three and a half hours on their phones and tablets every day, twice the amount just five years ago. A behavioral scientist offers a few tips on how to take control. Twenty-nine-year-old Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman to be elected to Congress, talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/Susan Walsh [Criticism of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s clothes echoes attacks against early female labor activists]( Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, Case Western Reserve University Striking 20th-century garment workers wore their best dresses and hats to send a message that they had the right to be taken seriously and have their voices heard. Environment + Energy - [Why the next two years are critical for the Paris climate deal’s survival]( Henry D. Jacoby, MIT Sloan School of Management; Jennifer Morris, Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Paris Agreement was a breakthrough in global climate talks, but nations now face major hurdles to meeting long-term emissions goals – and maintaining global support for the deal. - [Switching to electric vehicles could save the US billions, but timing is everything]( F. 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