Welcome to the stemistry lab
Stemistry is a contribution made to science by members of the public who come together to discuss stem cell research and offer their fears, hopes, questions and creative responses.
Stem cell research throws up plenty of moral questions, but rather than begin by talking to scientists and opinion-makers, this project asks a group of people from the general public for their thoughts, reactions and ideas, using creative writing to explore these responses.
If you'd like to know what opinion-makers think — click here for what politicians, campaigners and scientists are saying.
Creative responses from the lab: Autumn 2008
Waiting for the orgasmobile to come
A song to Love, 2058
Surely there is more to life
than cowboy stem-cell banks.
Romance, gone.
The drugs-drop lads, moved on
to back-street deals in Orgasmobiles.
Step into the back of the motor:
Button A gets you a son
Button B gets you a daughter
Button C gets you a high
then leaves you wondering why
love is against the law.
No-one says I love you
or whispers, You're the one. Just
Press Button B for a daughter
Press Button A for a son.
By Catherine Graham
The Choosebooth experience
‘The life of the world to come’ – what a statement. Can anyone come up with better slogans than God? Well possibly Shakespeare but that is absolutely it.
‘Sell it to them Charlie,’ had been his brief. ‘Sell it to them’.
Charlie was caught up in a fervour of enthusiasm, at last a product he could believe in and a franchise operation that would change the world. He could see a ‘ChooseBooth’ on every Station platform, on every Airport Concourse and in every hotel foyer from London to Los Angeles - from Bridlington to Bankok…
By Barbara Gordon
On the Mappa Mundi
Mixed up among accurate cities and rivers,
a world populated by strange creatures,
like the naked monopod on his back, solitary
leg in the air, using his giant foot as umbrella,
no distinction between natural and supernatural –
factual accounts of fish-men caught in nets
and shining men coming down from the sky.
And somewhere on this map, and in other
records, on the edges of the known, a race
of dog-head men, although no mention
of bitch-head women, like men in every detail
(eating the same food, living in villages,
and wearing the same raiment) save one.
And what exercised The Church? Not the question
of their existence, but ‘Do these creatures have a soul?
Have some adopted Christianity? And so it carries on,
When does life begin? Does a foetus have a soul?
Can we bring salvation to hybrid embryos?
By Marilyn Longstaff
WATCH THIS SPACE
Stemistry is a project that is taking place over three years, and we aim to develop the site to allow different kinds of interaction. If you have any general queries, or want to get in touch please email peals@ncl.ac.ukFrom the alt glossary
BLASTOCYST
New starters
Elastic band ball
Jack's bag of magic beans
Time-bomb
5-day football
Somebody's plan
Having a ball
Cycle bag
Life-ball
Life-basket
Big-bang