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In September Dr. Paul De Sousa and a research team from the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, told an audience of scientists that they had created human embryos from female eggs without using sperm. De Sousa’s team employed electrical shocks to “trick” 300 eggs into dividing as if fertilized, creating six blastocysts–embryos containing around 50 cells. De Sousa declared that his embryos would not be used to create fetuses, but said they could be used as stem cells to grow replacement tissue for the donor’s organs.
Government in Action
Least Competent Criminals
Judge Jeffrey K. Sprecher of Berks County, Pennsylvania, dismissed charges against a 44-year-old man for buying beer for his 17-year-old neighbor because the prosecution failed to prove that Miller Genuine Draft, which the boy allegedly consumed five cans of, is “beer.” Defense attorney David R. Eshelman pointed out that the prosecution had failed to provide a complete list of alcoholic beers from the state’s Liquor Control Board.
