It used to be that reproduction was a seemingly straightforward thing: A man’s sperm met and clung to a woman’s egg. If the the stars aligned and the sperm successfully fertilized the egg, nine (and some change) months of waiting would result in a baby.
A new way to reproduce
Scientists are trying to manufacture eggs and sperm in the laboratory. Will it end reproduction as we know it?
Fujifilm reproduces near-flawless Van Gogh replicas with 3D printing and scanning
Van Gogh’s Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers
After seven years of development, Fujifilm’s “Reliefography” 3D scanning and printing technique is ready to create near-flawless replicas of great works of art. The replicas will be available to the public for tens of thousands instead of tens of millions.
Sperm Grown in Lab Could Cure Male Infertility
Sperm grown in test tube is an important step toward curing male infertility.
Sperm has been grown in a test tube for the first time in a “small but important step” towards curing male infertility, a study claims. Researchers removed stem cells and cultured sperm in the laboratory in a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments and drugs for men currently unable to have children.
Sexual Reproduction in Space Will Likely be Impossible Says Nasa
Sexual reproduction is likely to be impossible in space due to cosmic radiation bombarding the human body.
Researchers at the agency’s Ames Research Centre in California found that without effective shielding on spacecraft, powerful proton particles would probably sterilize any female embryo conceived in deep space.
Scientists Create Mouse From Two Fathers
Scientists engineer new form of mammal reproduction to create a mouse with two fathers.
Scientists have created mice with two fathers – raising the possibility of gay couples having children who are genetically their own.
Continue reading… “Scientists Create Mouse From Two Fathers”
Certain Types of Fertility Treatments May Alter Gender Balance
The world’s first ‘test tube baby’, Britain’s Louise Brown, holding the Veary twins who were also born via IVF treatment.
Certain types of assisted fertilization appear to result in more male than female babies being born, a large study in Australia and New Zealand has found.
Continue reading… “Certain Types of Fertility Treatments May Alter Gender Balance”
Most ‘Test Tube’ Kids Are Healthy and Normal
Elizabeth Carr, right, the USA’s first “test tube baby” graduates from college in 2004.
Over 30 years after the world greeted its first “test-tube” baby with a mixture of awe, elation and concern, researchers are finding only a few medical differences between these children and kids conceived in the traditional way.
Continue reading… “Most ‘Test Tube’ Kids Are Healthy and Normal”
Birth Control Pills Affect Choice Of Mate Among Both Genders
Could birth control pills be taking human evolution in a whole new, and possibly detrimental, direction?A review of past research finds that, by altering hormonal cycles, the pill might affect choice of mates among members of both genders in a way that could hinder successful reproduction in the future.
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Having Sex Daily Makes Healthier Sperm
A doctor prepares eggs and sperm for an attempt at artificial insemination
Having sex every day improves the quality of men’s sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive, according to new research.
10 Amazing Miniature Works Of Art
Miniature Art
There’s something sort of magical about miniatures, especially when they’re strikingly lifelike. The artists who create these tiny wonders look at life from a different scale than the rest of us, and their work often requires intense patience, concentration and a steady hand. From sculptures too small to be seen by the naked eye to sweaters knitted with needles the diameter of a human hair, here are 10 incredible works of amazingly tiny art. (Pics) (Video)
Building Humans – ‘Unnatural’ Selection
Picture this: prospective parents excitedly clicking through an online catalogue, ticking off the optimal mix of traits for their yet-to-be-conceived child.