Scientists (pictured above) have finally discovered a way to authenticate claims that chocolate is "premium" and not secretly sub-premium Slugworth nonsense. It's a great day for humanity.

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It's such a great conceit for a crime show: guy commits murder; guy denies it; turns out it was guy's identical twin all along; everyone is happy (except murdered dude). Sadly, procedurals are going to have to get some new plotlines, because scientists at Eurofins have finally discovered a way to tell identical twins apart genetically.

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We love a good shaky bigfoot video or yeti sighting as much as the next blog, but generally we don't pay them much attention here on the site. Some yeti news out of the UK has managed to catch our attention though. A geneticist believes he has matched the DNA of a yeti to a very real animal, explaining the creature's origins.

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As BBC America's Orphan Black heads into its second season, many critics have focused on Tatiana Maslany’s supremely impressive feats of acting and the many compelling female characters as the draw of the series. If you haven’t watched the show, you’ve still likely heard that the lead actress plays no fewer than seven distinct characters, just in the first season. However, Orphan Black also stands out as a piece of science fiction, and it does so in a very relevant manner. The series is a distinctly modern science fiction story and focuses on two crucial themes: individuality and gene patenting. By posing serious questions about humanity, Orphan Black serves as an effective analogue for real life events, which elevates its science fiction status. Read on to find out how the show is reflecting our society, perceived stereotypes, and why they're way ahead of the sci-fi game.

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Photo editor Steven Kowalski altered this wedding photo for newlyweds Mindy and John to feature AT-AT's approaching the couple as they stand arm in arm, prepared to defend their wedding. (via The Frisky)

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Bee warned: Researchers at Washington State University are starting a frozen semen bank to store the genetic material of honey bees. In addition, they will use crossbreeding from various colonies to create new generations of bees that are more diversified and resilient to environmental threats. There's probably room for another bee joke here, but I'm drawing a blank.

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The U.S. Supreme Court has handed down some truly weird and sometimes downright awful decisions recently -- the "corporations have civil rights just like people do" debacle springs to mind -- but it's good to know that they don't always go against the individual while reviewing important cases. In a unanimous decision today, the Supreme Court ruled that naturally occurring human genes may not be patented, ending a dispute over intellectual property of genes that are used to detect early signs of certain cancers. So now we can all find out our cancer risk without having to pay exorbitant fees! You know, other than the ones we'd have to pay to address those risks. Those fees are still pretty exorbitant.

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This weekend was very upsetting for me, from the death of All in the Family star Jean Stapleton to... well, Game of Thrones was pretty rough last night, y'all. At times like this, the greatest remedy for profound emotional devastation is a whole bunch of chocolate slammed right down my facehole. Good to know that the open access journal Genome Biology is looking out for me there, as they've released a fully sequenced genome for the cacao plant which may one day lead to better tasting chocolate. 

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Angelina Jolie has never been one to sit back and let the world happen around her, so we probably shouldn't have been surprised when news broke of the actress undergoing a double mastectomy as a preemptive move again breast cancer. That's just how she rolls.

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Researchers may have a new clue as to what's behind the feelings of well-being that come with activities like yoga or guided meditation. A new study shows that these forms of practiced relaxation have the potential to change which genes a person is expressing almost instantaneously. One yoga session is not going to alter your genetic structure and turn you into a superhuman, of course, but it could influence the function of genes associated with metabolism and immune system function in a hot second, which, really, is weird and surprising enough for our tastes.

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As I rapidly approach the ripe old age of 30, I am becoming increasingly aware of things like my hair and whether or not I still have any. Commonly held wisdom says that baldness is passed from your mother's father, but AsapSCIENCE tackles the question to teach us just how hair loss really works in this new video.

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A team of researchers at Cambridge University have spotted the first instances of DNA with four helices present inside human cells. The Cambridge team hopes their findings could have implications for treating cancer, but the discovery more broadly suggests that we still may have a lot to learn about the basic structure of DNA and the shapes it can potentially take.

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AsapSCIENCE is back with another marker animation to explain a bit of science some may not understand. Last time it was how Plan B works, this time it's to explain why men have nipples that serve absolutely no purpose. Which I'm pretty sure I learned in middle school but hey, you might still be out of the loop and this is a fun way to learn. Disclaimer: If you don't agree with the science presented this video, just remember, we didn't make it. (Just had to say it, we get that kind of thing a lot.) (via Jezebel) Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?

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What would you pay for a home genetic test that could help you trace your ancestry, let you know your risk for disease, allow you to participate in valuable research, and also probably creep you out a little? One company hopes the answer is $99. 23andMe has lowered the cost of their Personal Genome Service to only $99. Will the lower cost attract more customers, or are people still too creeped out by this kind of thing to bite?

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Remember that scene in Jurassic Park where the scientist is explaining to Ian Malcolm that all the dinosaurs on the island are female because they deprive them of a specific hormone at a specific moment? Science may have just found that hormone and that moment. A team of scientists have found the protein that kicks off the development of male sex organs in mice. It could even explain why the female dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were able to breed.

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Do you have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning? Good news -- it's probably not your fault. Researchers are offering more insight into a gene that seems to govern people's sleep cycles -- mutations and variations in this gene can render people genetically predisposed to being early birds or late risers. So thanks, genetics,for taking one more item off of the "Aspects Of My Personality That I'm Actually Responsible For" list. Oh, also interesting about this gene? It may help researchers predict when you're going to die, like a gypsy made of DNA.

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When a class of animal is made up of only one gender, those animals tend to go extinct. That's not the case with the bdelloid rotifers, which have been exclusively female for around 80 million years. Just like we learned in Jurassic Park, life finds a way. For the bdelloids, that way is by hijacking the DNA of other species for its own benefit. Clever girl.

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