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Scientists Get Closer To Replicating Human Sperm (engadget.com)
Rachel England reports via Engadget: Scientists have taken an important step forward in recreating the way the human body makes sperm, which could one day mean creating artificial sperm and eggs for infertility treatment. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge's Gurdon Institute, are thought to be the first team to have reached the "halfway point" -- a significant milestone -- on the path between stem cells and immature sperm. This pathway -- which the team are attempting to track and understand -- involves embryonic cells turning into immature sperm via a series of complex steps known as meiosis. Cells follow the same journey for around eight weeks, before taking different directions depending on whether they're to be sperm or eggs. Previously, the team had managed to track this pathway to the four-week mark. Now, using new technology in the form of miniature artificial testicles (called "gonadal organoids"), it's on track to pass this point and gain new, deep insight into the process of sperm creation. Further reading: The Guardian
Men will destroy the world before they allow sperm to be made in a lab. Nothing is so fragile as the male ego.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Feminists celebrate! We don't need men anymore!
It's only a matter of time.
Besides sperm, we serve no purpose.
We need the MRA douchebags to come out and march against the elimination of the male sex! Just think....in 50 years a woman can create sperm from her own cells or the cells of a partner and when enough of them do that the male sex will end...........
Is there some shortage? Was that in the news???
1 step: create a virus which kill all men on earth.
2 step: spread it
3 step: Amazon sells sperm on demand.
And then, only girls are allowed to be born, with a transgenic sperm with only XX
America has already learned how to make large quantities of dog sperm. They're called "Trump supporters".
'nuff said.
Just think... in the future, generations may be born that don't have any ancestors at all.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Bukkake for all
Of all the things humanity doesn't have a shortage of, spermatozoa have got to be right up near the top of the list :)
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Are the 'Gonadal Organoids' brass? Do they come (sorry, couldn't resist) in sizes?
This is sooooo necessary because 7.5 billion humans infesting this globe is nowhere near enough.
To reduce crime, make fewer things against the law.
...you would have seen it's only meant for drinking.
I thought someone by now would have posted a joke about only reaching the half-way point.
Why is this necessary when creimer's mom swallowed millions of my sperm just last night?
All kidding aside, this sounds like an important development. SF authors will have fun with it. Though all along it's been pretty easy for them to just talk about people being constructed from high tech goop/whatever, this will make "Hard SF" more plausible if they need to use constructs of humans as a plot point. An AI with a starship could go into the planet populating business even easier now, and to whatever spec it can program in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Is there suddenly a world wide shortage of human sperm? This seems the height of waste.
The problem with quotes on the internet, is that nobody bothers to check their veracity. -- Abraham Lincoln
Most people aren't beta cucks like you, content to let other men knock up their wives and then raise some half-black baby.
WTF? Why are we WASTING a second of time on this non-problem!!
The only benefit is that maybe we can finally serialize all men at birth! If you want to reproduce, you'll have to intentionally go thru a process... hopefully with some paperwork so the morons are at least delayed.
So, will we outlaw self-procreation as the most extreme kind of incest? (it's similar to cloning but not enough it should be allowed.)
As if there is some type of shortage?
I knew it, I JUST knew it!
Exactly my question, but I'll never see a mod point to give you.
Looked like a surprisingly active topic, so I stopped by in my usual futile quest for "Funny" or "Insightful" comments. I guess that means I actually square or cube your "WHY?" Not only 'why do this' but 'why were so many people on Slashdot interested enough to comment on it' (without generating any "Funny" or "Insightful" mods (to date)).
As regards your sig I've heard that Honest Abe is the most frequently used source for bogus quotes. However I wonder if his strong reputation can survive what today's so-called Republicans and their ignominious leader have been doing. Maybe you'll feel obliged to change your sig to say it was Shakespeare?
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Next: artificial wombs and synthetic eggs impregnated by synthetic sperm. Welcome all ye drones, to our new AI overlords.
There is no shortage of sperm in this world. Probably easily triple digit gallons of it a day end up in tissues, towels, down the shower drain, etc. It doesn't matter how much you think you're laying your man, he's still taking care of more ejaculations with his hand than ever end up on you, in your snatch, ass or mouth
Instructions unclear; half of all readers' necks are now broken.
Japanese scientists will be following these developments closely ...
Playing God with the procreation process is usually a civilization destroying process.
What do you mean by "usually" ?
You have a long list of civilisations all destroyed by the process of "Playing God" with the procreation process ?
Like a dozen of such cases, to illustrate that indeed that's the most usual out-come ?
The only instance of "Playing God with the procreation process" is the development of agriculture over the past couple of millennia (hybridizations, selections of weird nearly-impossible offsprings, agricultural crops being so much different from their nearest natural wild relative to be almost unrecognizable, polypoloidy being common in agricultural crops, etc.) and that has in fac turned out quite successful when you look at the evolution of what meal is in your plate.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Is it vegan?
...every sperm is great!
When a sperm is created
God gets quite irate
We'll make great pets
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I'll make my own thanks. It's a lot more fun.
Don't we have enough of this stuff already?? Any other useless thing you want to spend you scientific mind and money on?
I won't even get into the ethical dilemma.
You won't really reach the height of waste until someone describes what it tastes like.
Comes in handy for these situations
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flavor and texture, and there will be a massive increase in the volume of (artificial) bukkake videos.
It's a brave new world we live in! ...
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Is there suddenly a world wide shortage of human sperm? This seems the height of waste.
As a matter of fact, sperm levels have been dropping worldwide.
For that the researches might have to replicate the rest of the ejaculate. Soon, sex toys that come with a filling ports and capsules with flavors and vintages. Some might even have moisturizer in them to shave of few seconds from a busy morning ritual.
In general, women lack agency - the ability to get places and do things on their own, without someone cheering them on and forcing them to do stuff. Lack of self-confidence is the defining characteristic. So they end up working for or living with men who - guess what - have agency. Women will by and large do demeaning things for people who have this agency. The wish to belong somewhere is strong in most women, overriding pride in many/most cases.
You can make high profile noise about this (e.g. Weinstein) and you can have lower level sexual harassment/assault claims, but nothing will ever change about this relationship. It's baked in. Women aren't going to get agency as a default and men aren't going stop taking advantage of power to gratify sexual appetites. In fact, i'd expect the pendulum to swing back to a worse time in the next cycle. It always does.
And before someone whines about their friend who has what I say women don't have... I said most. There are a tiny minority of women who have agency and have self-confidence. Too bad it's so rare.
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..its more fucking people to pollute and destroy the fucking planet.
I hope someone shoots these wastes of science as a warning.
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If they can replicate sperm, then sperm banks won't buy the real stuff for 50 bucks per pop.
Who cares what the identity of any AC's are in a given creimer comment pit. By design nobody except creimer's trolls will ever see them. I feel sorry for any "chicas" in your future as they have to grow up hearing about your antidepressant sperm and other sophomoric nuggets of disgusting sexual wisdom.
As soon as I read that in our reality my puss went dry in all alternate realities where I have one. You're 10 levels of ick homey.
Finally won't look so fake in their porn.
Is there NOTHING you chinese guys won't make a shitty pirate version of? Ms Cleo was Jamaican, dumbass.
Is there suddenly a world wide shortage of human sperm? This seems the height of waste.
Can you see no value in understanding the process of how sperm is created than to create sperm?
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
Turns out I've been a scientist since I was 12.
Yes and it would probably make more sense to just address that problem than to create artificial sperm. We know roughly why sperm levels are dropping, it's just bad for businesses to remove all those pollutants from our environment.
What am I going to do with all this home made sperm?!
You know it is better than the fake stuff!
Two scenarios come to mind:
1) The Matrix uses this technology to farm their own "battteries", and;
2) SkyNet uses this technology to make the ultimate Terminator.
Either way, humans are doomed!
Self-importance and self-indulgence is the root of ALL evil.