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Friday, Apr 13, 2007 5:09 PM UTC

Self-fertilizing females to take over the world

Just kidding. But research suggests female-only conception may be possible.

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Topics: Broadsheet, Love and Sex,

Science is considering taking the concept of single motherhood a step further. Professor Karim Nayernia at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the U.K. is taking stem cells from harvested human bone marrow and turning them into sperm cells. (Last year, Nayernia had similar success creating artificial sperm from embryonic stem cells in mice.) So far, Nayernia and Co. have only created sperm cells using cells taken from men, but they may be able to create sperm using cells from women’s bone marrow, a finding that “brings the prospect of female-only conception a step closer,” the Independent reports. Yowza!

We’re not living the dream just yet: The researchers are still working out some pesky questions like whether the process is possible, whether it’s safe and whether it’s ethical. And even if it all worked out, there’d be some limitations; lacking the Y chromosome, self-fertilizing women would only be able to have daughters.

The creepy, feminist-utopia implications of this potential step will probably alarm some people. (As the Independent reminds us, the field of literature offers numerous scenarios featuring female-only societies, from Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “Herland” to Doris Lessing’s “The Cleft,” many of which have troublingly eugenicist overtones and/or end in disaster.) I tend to think the number of women who’d want to retreat into a single-sex society is relatively small, though, so even if this research works out I’m not too concerned that it will eradicate life as we know it.

Also worth noting: The current research project has potential benefits for both men and women. Creating sperm cells from stem cells may help infertile men father children; were the self-fertilization side of things to work out, lesbian couples would be able to have children that were biologically related to both parents. Not that current solutions like sperm and egg donation, surrogacy and adoption aren’t helping to create great families; of course they are, but it’d be nice to have additional options.

We’ll keep you posted!

Page Rockwell

Page Rockwell is Salon's editorial project manager. More Page Rockwell.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

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  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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