Arizona Bans Human/Animal Hybrids

The seemingly mild-mannered southwestern state of Arizona has been in the news a lot lately, primarily for the drastic and somewhat surprising immigration law that recently passed, but the state is making waves in the scientific community now too.

(Image from: www.cftech.com)

The Arizona State Senate approved State Bill 1307, a bill that prohibits anyone in Arizona from “creating or attempting to create an in vitro human embryo by any means other than fertilization of a human egg by a human sperm.”

Scientists in Arizona are also prohibited from “transferring or attempting to transfer a human embryo into a nonhuman womb,” “transferring or attempting to transfer a nonhuman embryo into a human womb,” and “transporting or receiving for any purpose a human-animal hybrid.”

I, for one, find it a bit amusing that Arizona is outlawing the ability to create such organisms, but is also telling you that you can’t sell the ones you already have. Citizen, put down the creature from Next, it is illegal to buy or sell…(though it is also illegal for most people to buy or sell peyote in Arizona and that law hasn’t done a whole lot to stop them).

The official sci-fi term for pairing together DNA of two or more different species to create a hybrid organism is called splicing.

How are we going to find a girlfriend for Aquaman now?!

I think that a group of Arizona law makers happened to see the preview for Adrien Brody’s new movie “Splice” and just thought, “Oh shit, that can happen?! We best make a law against this AND QUICK!”

GeekOSystem.com also noted that “the wording of this law would also include human-alien couples trying to have children.” Don’t worry, Arizona is handling its alien problem through other legistlation. ZING!

You can find the text of the bill here, if you’re interested.

Also: Here’s the preview for that movie I was talking about.

Happy Earth Day!

I want to wish you all a Happy Earth Day!

(and I also want to wish Earth Day a happy 40th Birthday.)




For the last 40 years, environmentally conscious people have been joining together on April 22nd to help instill change.

Since the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, smog levels have decreased by a quarter, and lead levels in the air are down more than 90% (according to an article by Discovery News). Rivers and streams that used to burn due to pollution are now open to swimmers. The Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act helped change the way businesses could treat the environment.

Environmental progress isn't only about laws. The environmental problems that face us today aren't nearly as visible as they were forty years ago; people tend to pay more attention when a river is burning than they do when someone shows them a chart about greenhouse gas levels.

Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said "The Cuyahoga River is not on fire anymore, and air quality in Los Angeles is not as bad as it was 40 years ago. I think people get those connections. People get that something is changing about our climate."

No matter how you feel about climate change, do your part to help the planet this Earth day.

Recycle that can of Diet Coke.
Turn off the lights when you leave the house.
Use reusable shopping bags.
Drink tap water instead of bottled (it's fine, I promise.)
Walk to the store instead of drive.

All the little things add up, so put down that can of Aquanet and do your part this Earth Day!