My US copy of Adam's Curse is subtitled: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Destiny. However, the UK version is more interestingly and appropriated subtitled: A Story of Sex, Genetics, and Extinction of Men. In the book, Bryan Sykes discuss the science behind the male's Y-chrosome and the need for sex. You might have covered some of these topics in your high school biology class, but what makes this book interesting is the author's theory of male extinction. The Y-chromosome, which lacks the advantage of sexual recombination, is doomed as the level of infertility amongst men increases over time. No worries for us women though. Technology has been able to, at least in mice, create a viable embryo from two eggs, instead of 1 egg and 1 sperm. This means someday there will be a world of only daughters. I suppose over the long run the women will adapt to life without men. In my life though, I can't imagine a world without them. They can be a pain in the ass sometime, but without them, who would build my furniture, carry my shopping bags, buy me dinner, etc. etc. And who would do all those stupid things that make me laugh? I'd also have to turn into a lesbian. But homosexuality is genetic, so how would I do that? I guess I better enjoy them in my current lifetime.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Book Review: Adam's Curse
My US copy of Adam's Curse is subtitled: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Destiny. However, the UK version is more interestingly and appropriated subtitled: A Story of Sex, Genetics, and Extinction of Men. In the book, Bryan Sykes discuss the science behind the male's Y-chrosome and the need for sex. You might have covered some of these topics in your high school biology class, but what makes this book interesting is the author's theory of male extinction. The Y-chromosome, which lacks the advantage of sexual recombination, is doomed as the level of infertility amongst men increases over time. No worries for us women though. Technology has been able to, at least in mice, create a viable embryo from two eggs, instead of 1 egg and 1 sperm. This means someday there will be a world of only daughters. I suppose over the long run the women will adapt to life without men. In my life though, I can't imagine a world without them. They can be a pain in the ass sometime, but without them, who would build my furniture, carry my shopping bags, buy me dinner, etc. etc. And who would do all those stupid things that make me laugh? I'd also have to turn into a lesbian. But homosexuality is genetic, so how would I do that? I guess I better enjoy them in my current lifetime.
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