the latest from my pen

UK Report Backs Deregulation of Controversial Research
Relaxing the ban on genetic modification of human embryos is just one of the controversial suggestions contained in a report issued today by the United Kingdom's House of Commons Science and Technology committee. The report, part of a reevaluation of the country's regulation of medical and scientific use of human embryos, goes against mainstream public and scientific opinion in many areas. Link


Broad-minded babies
The young brain is adept at making fine distinctions, between language sounds for instance, that elude adults. With a little exposure to a foreign language, they can keep this ability longer. Now a study shows the same thing is true for recognizing faces.

Babies quickly advance from promiscuous babbling to articulate gabbing, but along the way they lose the ability to distinguish between some spoken sounds... Link


Bacteria's sweet deception
Our intestines are filled with billions of bacteria that somehow evade detection by the immune system. A new study suggests the microbes hide by coating themselves in sugars harvested from host cells--a finding that could help researchers understand how hosts tell friend from foe. Link