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Lots of people think this is how science works: A genius sits in a lab working late into the night and, finally — "Eureka!" After that come big prizes, and maybe even lucrative patents, right? Discoveries are rarely so straightforward. A recent biotech advance that goes by the long, awkward acronym of CRISPR-Cas9 is a perfect case. (Bichell, 11/2)

We hear a lot about the wonders of genetic testing, how it can revolutionize medicine and find cures for fatal diseases. A new study from the University of Michigan also shows how it can waste a half a billion dollars a year. Researchers at the university examined testing for inherited thrombophilia, a genetic quirk that can indicate a patient’s likelihood of developing dangerous blood clots. It sounds like a useful test to have. But, according to the researchers, knowing that you have the trait will not change your treatment. (Ross, 11/2)