OK, I kind of let this column drop at the end of summer as I got so busy. I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep up. But I’ll give it a whirl. The aim is to cover the science news of interest to Mormons. Probably the big science readers will have seen many of these links. The aim of this is to give those with perhaps more incidental interest a bit of a note about interesting stories out there. Feel free to make comments or ask questions. A lot of the links aren’t to LDS blogs, so sometimes a question here is a bit more appropriate.

Without further ado, here are the stories for this week.
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The Deseret News has an article describing the upcoming four-hour PBS documentary “The Mormons,” which will air in two parts on April 30 and May 1 (hat tip: M-Star). The producer of the film, Helen Whitney, is quoted in the article as follows:

I hope that most of the stereotypes — ideally, all of them — will be blown away. Because so many of them are just based on ignorance. Ignorance about Mormon history, ignorance about Mormon theology. Ignorance.

This sounds very promising. (more…)

We are already 15 games into the 30-game season for the BYU Men’s Basketball team. The Cougs are 11-4 so far and are coming off a sound thrashing of the SDSU Aztecs in the Marriott Center on Saturday. It was the Cougars’ 6th straight win and the win was significant because SDSU (though struggling as of late) was the conference champion last year and was picked to win the Mountain West Conference championship this year.
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The latest news is that scientists may be able to cure or at least treat gay sheep. Right now they are just conducting experiments. But, unsurprising gay activists are not amused. It’s an interesting question though. Surely most would agree that there is a big distinction between trying to increase yields of mating sheep by eliminating that 10% of gay sheep and humans. For instance even those who might oppose cloning or stem cell research probably wouldn’t mind it in cattle. But I don’t typically hear slipperly slope fears. Further there is this chilling aspect that suggests just because knowledge might be misused that we ought to censor science. What are your thoughts?

I should note that even if they could find a treatment for sheep it doesn’t follow that it would work in humans.

Today (January 6) is the Christian holy day of Epiphany (Greek επιφάνεια, “the appearance; miraculous phenomenon.”) The observance has its origins in the eastern Christian churches, and includes a commemoration of the early events of Jesus’ life: his birth; the visit of the three Magi (symbolic of his revelation to the Gentiles); his childhood; and his baptism. The feast was fixed on January 6, twelve days after the Western Christmas. (more…)

The Deseret News carried an article yesterday discussing the media’s difficulty in sizing up Harry Reid, the new Senate Majority Leader. A Mormon who’s a Democrat. A Democrat who’s against abortion. A Nevada politician with grit, not glitz. Reid doesn’t fit any stereotypes, and without a handy stereotype to guide them, most people (journalists included) just don’t seem to know what to make of him. (more…)