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Pig Sperm in Space
Spitfire15 writes "China is planning to study the effects of space on sperm, by sending the semen from pedigree pigs into orbit.
Some 40 grams of pig sperm will be taken on board the Shenzhou VI spacecraft for its October launch.
Some of the sperm will be kept outside the spacecraft's biological capsule and some inside, according to China's Xinhua news agency.
Surviving sperm will be returned to Earth and used to understand better the processes involved in pig reproduction."
about "porking in space"
I never spellcheck and I freely admit it. Save your karma for more worthwhile "lol erorrs" replies
... Why... ?
"by sending the semen from pedigree pigs into orbit."
Are these the capitalist breed of pig?
Looks like anyone who promised to do something 'When pigs fly!' might be in alot of trouble.
It would have had a funnier headline.
Pig's... Sperm... In... Spaaaaaaace!
Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
My God, they are sending sperm into space! What is wrong with these people, haven't they seen the fantastic four yet? Geez, do we really need sperm that has been mutated by high-radiation exposure to be brought down from space?
just gotta ask, what on God's green earth does this accomplish? (or God's black space, since it is in orbit.) Are they planning on breeding pigs in space now? (And do they need permission from the Henson if they do?)
antipaucity
You'd think that they could generally-engineered super pig that could fire the stuff into orbit while standing on the ground.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Science is what happens when preconception meets verification.
Somehow this seems relevant to the article. Maybe we should start a discussion about when life truly starts?
So if pigs re-enter the earths atmosphere at sub-orbital speeds, that would make for some fine crispy bacon, just the way I like it.
-FL
So...if the sperm does better in zero gravity, will this lead to a whole new business segment for fertility clinics? I can see whole fleets of 747's diving in the air to simulate zero gravity, while couples desperately seeking children try it on the 'sperm comet'. That might be fun, even if your not trying to conceive...
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" -Hunter S. Thompson
So does this mean that China will start conducting the meaningless and irrelevant scientific studies so that America and Russia can get back to exploring the cosmos?
/Hopes so
First thing I thought of when I read the title was whether the Muppet Show had ever been voiced over in Chinese...
in this article, it says 'eggs'. Or is sperm another forbidden word in the land of the free?
"It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
Journalists often protray scientific experiments as if the scientists are sitting around in rooms with low O2 concentrations, smoking crack, concocting these bizarre experiments, when in fact if the journalists took time to understand why they are doing this, everyone might be educated. But hey! sensationalism sells.
..........FULL STOP.
In other news, let me be the first to welcome our space-raditaion-mutated cloned pig embryo overlords.
Which brings me to my next point: in Soviet Russia, CLONED PIGS harvest organs from YOU!
-- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
ANNOUNCER: When last we left the spaceship Swinepork, Dr. Strangepork was on the verge of a major scientific breakthrough!
STRANGEPORK (fiddling with a bizarre contraption): Let's see, adjust this, twiddle that... hmmm.
PIGGY: What'cha workin on there Strangepork? Some kind of Intergalactic vacuum cleaner?
STRANGEPORK: Oh, you'll find out soon enough Miss Piggy. Just one last adjustment and... (disco ball decends from ceiling, disco music blares). (yelling)
This is an intergalactic pig sperm collector! Soon we will understand how pigs evolve!
PIGGY: Strangepork, you are one twisted pig! Where do you think you are going to get pig sperm out here in space anyway?
HOGTHROB: I think you should have only best sperm, therefore it will come from pig numbero uno and galactic playboy... me.
(puts his arm around Piggy). But I'm going to need some help..
PIGGY (dawning realization): What the... oh no you didn't.
STRANGEPORK: No, we need as much sperm as possible. Miss Piggy, you wouldn't want to stand in the way of science would you? (reaches for his pants).
HOGTHROB: As first.. mate.. on this ship piggy, we must repopulate the universe together!
STRANGEPORK: Prepare for docking Firstmate Piggy!
PIGGY: (looks at audience). You saw this one coming right? Hiiiiiiiii----yaaaaaa! (spinning karate kick to the groins of Strangepork and Hogthrob).
(Piggy adjust her uniform as Link and Dr. Strangepork pick themselves off the floor).
STRANGEPORK: Well, you can't say we didn't try.
PIGGY: Typical men.. all pigs.
HOGTHROB: Actually this collector device is strangely attractive.
(Hogthrob humps the collector in the background as Strangepork covers his eyes and Piggy begins retching).
ANNOUNCER: Oh gross. That is not ok. Cut! Cut!
I, for one, welcome our new pedigree space porcine overlords.
5 minutes ago I didn't like my job. Now I think its ok, because I found out that somewhere on the other side of the earth, some guy/girl/small-child is collecting pig sperm.
... into space
To send
And be brought back in an attempt to "understand better the processes involved in pig reproduction". I bet NASA is pissed that the Chinese beat us to this one...
Many swines' died to bring us this information....
i don't care
That stain on the ceiling? Must be a roof leak, mom....
Somehow, if you're the guy who's collecting this stuff, I don't think you could get away by listing your job as "astronaut." These poor guys need a title! Maybe "micro-sinonaut harvester." That sounds sci-fi and cool!
(Chinese astronaut = sinonaut? Or does that not count for pre-pig matter? Porconaut? Preporconaut?)
Spam!
One of the best "from-the-%s-dept" jokes I've ever seen, congrats timothy
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
Didn't see this one yet, so here goes:
This must be "seminal research"...
Feel free to throw all manner of objects in my general direction for that one.
Ron Paul 2012
to understand better the processes involved in pig reproduction.
I think sexual intercourse is involved? then again, I'm no scientist. I just like bacon.
In Communist China 40 grams of pig sperm are sent into YOU.
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- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
Does anyone have any information on the relative efficiencies of solid booster rockets vs pig-power for stationkeeping?
February 9th, 2009 8:55pm: Slashdot becomes self-aware.
See if it was Japan doing it, we'd all know what would be enstore for the stuff when it got back.
The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
"Surviving sperm will be returned to Earth"
Does that imply that dead sperm will be jettisoned into orbit? At least Poole will have company out there.
--
make install -not war