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n a quest to understand complex speech, scientists inserted what's been dubbed a human “language gene” into mice. Remarkably, the genetic tweak had a profound impact on the little rodents' ability to squeak, revealing astonishing clues about the evolution of vocal communication. Mouse pups that had the human version of the language gene showed different vocalization patterns from their buddies with the usual version mice have. When calling for their mother, their squeaks were higher pitched and featured a different selection of sounds than usual. “All baby mice make ultrasonic squeaks to their moms, and language researchers categorize the varying...

A British pro-life group warns that a new type of embryo research, likely to be approved this week by a U.K. government panel, undermines human dignity. Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority is expected to give a green light this week to U.K. laboratories seeking to create the first animal-human embryos for medical research using eggs taken from dead cows. British scientists want to use the hybrid embryos in order to research genetic diseases. Anthony Ozimic, political secretary for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, opposes the embryo-destructive research. He says that an "a-nucleated" cow egg will only...

Fri, Apr. 29, 2005BusinessweekGenetic mingling mixes human, animal cells The Associated Press /RENO, Nev. By PAUL ELIAS AP Biotechnology Writer   RENO, Nev. - On a farm about six miles outside this gambling town, Jason Chamberlain looks over a flock of about 50 smelly sheep, many of them possessing partially human livers, hearts, brains and other organs.

RENO, Nev. - On a farm about six miles outside this gambling town, Jason Chamberlain looks over a flock of about 50 smelly sheep, many of them possessing partially human livers, hearts, brains and other organs. The University of Nevada-Reno researcher talks matter-of-factly about his plans to euthanize one of the pregnant sheep in a nearby lab. He can't wait to examine the effects of the human cells he had injected into the fetus' brain about two months ago. "It's mice on a large scale," Chamberlain says with a shrug. As strange as his work may sound, it falls firmly...

FROM AUG. 2001: MIDI - SEND IN THE CLOWNS We’ll make them smart…right from the start We will make sure that each has a healthy heart Send in the clones Next thing you know…we’ll surely go To that bizarre island of Dr. Moreau Send in the clones…we need those clones Our Brave New World…oh, what a world Huxley had told us of what he knew would be unfurled I’ve seen the future and, friends, I can tell you I hurled Send in those clones…we need those clones It’s time to fear…it’s become clear Shelley was right and our own Frankenstein’s...