MORE STRATEGIC PRODUCT PLACEMENT

One Way To Rebut Christopher Hitchens . . . .

(From The Friendly Atheist via Imago Dei)

MANY HAPPY RETURNS...TO ME

I'm headed back to work in a few days!

I'm afraid this view is definitely out-of-date, though. For one thing, I have snazzier Power Points now. For another, I've put on a few pounds. Also, like PZ Myers, I no longer wear ordinary clothes but am instead wearing the proper science attire.

Also---Blake, TL----I'm afraid the standard model of particle physics poster is now covered by a Harry Potter movie poster. Which is OK, because people are going to be reading Rowling a lot longer than we're going to keep using the standard model. No gravitons yet, and no gravity waves detected, but I have a (warning---unscientific alert!) feeling that the LHC and LIGO are going to knock some holes in the standard model.

Also, I just finished a systemic planning class and I have a few days to enjoy before going back to work on the 16th. The day before that I'll kick off my (hopefully) spirited exchange with blogger Vox Day. I think I get to go first because, you know, age before beauty.

Speaking of which, I just celebrated my birthday!

NOT EXACTLY A VIRGIN BIRTH, BUT....

The fraudulent South Korean stem cell research program was a scandal which not only discouraged the scientific community, but which probably seriously damaged the prospects for stem cell research in this country.

But sometimes there are diamonds in the ashes. One such finding is this: the revelation that there were some stem cells produced through solely through the division of cells from a donor female's egg: parthenogenesis, in other words.

Now, this is not the same thing as a parthenogenetically-produced cell properly differentiating into a viable organism: that would constitute (heh) a 'virgin birth'. As far as we know, no female mammal, marsupial or placental, has ever conceived without sex.

But lizards and fish? There are many such examples, including the all-female whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus sp.) shown copulating above. Yes, that's right, copulating. Albeit without so much as a baculum. These were featured on a wonderful episode of PBS's 'Evolution' series a few years ago. Highly recommended.

(The show, that is, not the lesbian lizards who are all in a sense Virgin Mothers.)