At long last, the FDA has authorized 23andMe to market health-related genetic testing. It’s good news, but the impact of this is minimal for the time being. This specific authorization is for analysis of a single disease, but this “important first step” paves the way for the full suite of DNA analysis to return to the Mountain View-based genetics company. Back in late 2013, 23andMe halted its analysis of health-related genetic markers. This came weeks after the FDA demanded that 23andMe cease marketing its health-focused DNA analysis. Since then, new customers have been able to receive their own raw genetic data, but 23andMe was largely forced to limit its analysis to the topic of ancestry. In a blog post, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki revealed the company’s first major victory in the fight to offer direct-to-consumer health-focused DNA analysis. This isn’t just a big deal for this one company, this is a landmark moment for direct-to-consumer DNA testing in general. Wojcicki explains that this is the first time the FDA has ever given a thumbs-up for marketing a direct-to-consumer genetic test. 23andMe still has to receive approval for the rest of its health-related genetic analysis, but this approval is a good sign that Americans will eventually be able to enjoy the full suite once again. Over the last year or so, I’ve been worried that the FDA is unfairly blocking the development of direct-to-consumer DNA testing. My concerns have not retreated entirely, but Wojcicki’s open praise of the FDA has gone a long way towards soothing my discomfort. I’m certainly pleased that there is oversight and a minimum requirement of evidence, but the FDA’s demands have undoubtedly stalled innovation, and perhaps scared off potential competitors from entering into the market. On one hand, I’m very pleased that 23andMe is willing to work towards proving the accuracy of its claims. On the other, this kind of bureaucracy could have a chilling effect on the field of genetics. Accountability is definitely a good thing, but we must balance that against the molasses-like speed at which the federal government moves. But at the very least, these growing pains being felt by 23andMe will lead the way towards a clearer picture of where genetic testing fits into our society. Just don’t be surprised if and and when other major legal issues arise for this industry in the coming decades

Whether it was after getting hooked on your first comic, taking a college art class, or even idly doodling on your math book instead of paying attention to your teacher, we’ve all experimented with drawing. Unless you’re one of the people that can actually do it well, you likely gave up and moved on, wondering how other humans can mix lines together to create something both recognizable and aesthetically pleasing. If you’re illustrationally-challenged, your salvation may lie not with humanity, but with robotics. A new robotic glove teaches you how to draw by becoming training your muscle memory.

Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design student Saurabh Datta developed the glove as part of his thesis, initially as a way to learn to play the piano. If his human hands couldn’t learn, maybe some robot hands could teach them — and no, the robot hand doesn’t come from the Robot Devil, despite the startlingly similar way the idea was conceived. Called Teacher, the glove-like robot straps onto your hand and fingers, and guides you through specific gestures over and over. If you do it enough, your hand will learn how to do it through sheer muscle memory.

Obviously, this won’t teach you instinct or how to transfer something from your imagination to paper, but at the very least, the theory is that it’ll teach you basics — how to make aesthetically pleasing lines.

Now, it only took Datta a week to build the rig. It’s not exactly the teacher after which it’s named, but instead represents the way humans and robots can and do interact when working to achieve the same goal. Despite being presented with the potential to learn how to draw, Datta found that most participants didn’t like when the glove controlled the majority of the movement — they’d fight against the haptic feedback, and constantly readjust their hand within the contraption to find a more comfortable position. To fix the comfort issue, Datta recorded the fidgets made by the testers, and then adjusted the machine’s force feedback to account for them. In turn, this also helped the machine learn about the way humans naturally move.

Datta’s machines won’t suddenly help you create the best DeviantArt page the internet has ever known, but it’s essentially a proof-of-concept for machines doing our learning for us. You can check out the full project over here, including development diagrams and (long) demonstration videos.