Saturday, October 17, 2009

Brave new world

Here is a bit of scientific research that has “ethical, moral, social and spiritual disaster” written all over it.

Scientists at the University of Toronto found that by genetically tweaking fruit flies so they failed to produce a particular type of pheromone or odour, it turned them irresistible to their species.

Professor Joel Levine, who led the study, removed the cuticular hydrocarbon pheromone, used by the flies to communicate.   

They discovered that when the pheromone was removed, it created a “sexual tsunami” where the bugs proved attractive to one another, regardless of sex.

The research found that male fruit flies with no history of homosexuality attempted to mate with their pheromone-free males, according to the research published in journal Nature.

Even flies of a different species were interested, according to the research team.

Nope, this advancement in science won’t lead to unforeseen horrors.  Nope.   It’s a brave new world.

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