Magnus Takes on Kitty Cloning

The Detroit Free Press reported that the first cloned-to-order pet, a kitten named Little Nicky, was delivered to a Texas woman about 2 weeks ago. The kitten, was cloned by a Sausolito company called Genetic Savings and Clone, for a mere $50,000. Little Nicky's owner had banked her deceased 17-year-old cat's DNA, which was used to create the clone. David Magnus was quoted: "It's morally problematic and a little reprehensible...For $50,000, she could have provided homes for a lot of strays." - Linda Glenn

Cell Hacking

Occasionally Popular Science magazine is really on top of a new phenomenon. This is one such moment. In their lengthy piece on the programming of bacteria, the mag covers virtually every issue associated with the creation of cell colonies from industrial-level programming - a highly controversial DARPA-funded program that is coming into its own. Magnus is quoted.

Washington Post: Erasing Your Memory

Rob Stein asks what the problems would be with erasing traumatic memories. Magnus and Dresser are quoted.