Gene Therapy Helps Blind Man See and the Rise of Ghost Restaurants

A new treatment known as optogenetic therapy has given a blind man some of his vision back. Light- activated proteins were inserted into eye nerve cells and paired with specials goggles that emit flashes of amber-hued light. This combination allowed the man with a degenerative eye disease to see and count objects, when he could previously just detect some light. Tina Hesman Saey, senior writer at Science News, joins us for more.

Next, ghost kitchens or virtual restaurants have taken over America’s restaurants. The new world is search optimized and data-driven. Often these restaurants have no storefront and no place to dine-in. Instead, they can be found on food delivery apps like Uber Eats and GrubHub. Some experts say that these virtual restaurants will be a $1 trillion industry in the next ten years. At a time when restaurants are struggling due to the pandemic, this expansion can be a lifeline for many. Adam Chandler, contributor to Marker, joins us for the rise of ghost kitchens.

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