Once in a while, however, the humble sub is permitted to craft a thing of beauty and power that will linger in the minds of his readers for ever. These reflections were inspired by an exceptionally arresting headline displayed recently on the BBC News website: "China to send pig sperm to space." The story is something about Chinese scientists seeking to improve porcine sperm motility via microgravity, but compared with the force of the headline, the story is pretty inconsequential. Or is it? The Chinese have a breezily pragmatic approach to the biological and human sciences, unencumbered by the ethical issues that vex Judeo-Christian cultures. Breeding pigs, breeding humans--what's the difference? You and I are inclined to think there's a world of difference, but this opinion is not universally held. In the years to come we should expect to see more headlines about the biological sciences in China. They won't all be as risible as that one.