I recently attended a consultation meeting hosted by the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). A representative from the deaf community put an open question to the assembled group of clinicians, research scientists, counsellors and ART recipients...
The title of this programme may have unfortunately deterred people from looking at the first of this three-part series. Because if you were expecting a purely scientific programme you would have been disappointed, as instead Dr Rutherford told the most extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and cell-division. It was as much an historical journey as it was a scientific journey, which looked at the difficulties that are inherent with any new discovery. H...
Molecular biologist, (Lord) David Phillips once described to me, rather ruefully, a talk on genetics he had just given in the church hall in Banbury. Having been invited to talk on anything he chose, he sensibly asked who were likely to be in the audience. When told, mostly farmers and their families, he immediately plumped for genetics. If anyone would either be interested in genetics or have a basis of understanding it would surely be them. Selective breeding and inherited characteristics w...
According to the blurb, this book from the well known ‘…for Dummies’ series claims to provide: ‘explanations in plain English; ‘get in, get out’ information; top ten lists and a dash of humour and fun’. By and large it does what it says on the tin. A comprehensive reference book, it is overall well written and carefully thought through. The mix of scientific information, personal experiences and ‘Tips’ - all indicated by easy to identify symbols - make it easy to use...
'My Sister's Keeper' is based on a book by the author Jodi Picoult. The youngest daughter of the Fitzgerald family, Anna (Abigail Breslin), decides to sue her parents for the ‘medical emancipation’ of her own body. Having been conceived through IVF and the resulting embryo tissue typed to ensure it was a match for her sick existing sibling, Anna was born for the primary reason of keeping her older sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), a leukaemia patient, alive....
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