The Latest, The Leptoquark?

An update by:

RAdm. R.M. Wey

The search for quarks has been ongoing since the theory was introduced in the sixth decade of the twentieth century. From that point, five of the ‘believed to exist quarks’[the UP, DOWN, STRANGE, CHARM, and BOTTOM(or BEAUTY)]had been found. The sixth, the TOP quark was to elude physicists for decades.

Divided into two categories of elemental particles[the quarks listed above and leptons(the ELECTRON, MUON, TAU, ELECTRON NUETRINO, MUON NUETRINO, and TAU NUETRINO)]these were the things that made up the material world.

Recent research conducted in a laboratory in Germany have brought about the possibility of the existence of the ‘Leptoquark’; A particle that is half lepton, half quark.

If such a particle were proven to exist, it would forever alter the standard theory to which all things have been ascribed; From the very architecture of atoms, to the reactions that power the sun.

The theoretical existence of the Leptoquark[at present]remains just that. However, this may not forever be so, who knows what wonders of science await us…in the centuries to come?

Bioengineering, Cloning and Eugenics:

Are we creating Frankenstein?

An observation by:

FCapt. D.L. Wey

In the last decade of the twentieth century, scientists achieved the ability to clone sheep, as well as early primates[i.e. monkeys]. As with all scientific breakthroughs through the history of the human race, it would only be a matter of time before the process would become practiced on the human race itself.

A form of eugenics which is only a step or two above the process carried out by the scientists of nazi Germany in the first half of the twentieth century. Such ethical dilemmas are at the heart of the debates in medical circles; To what end does this research go?

On the one side, consider that cloned organs could be produced from the host, alleviating the possibility of rejection. Through the use of bioengineering, genetic defects could be corrected in the host, preventing the passing on of such defects to ones progeny, etc.

Yet on the other side, the possibility that genetically altered duplicates could be created, permitting the ‘elimination’ of the original, in favor of the copy. Another question arises…For whom will such an option be available? Who decides which individuals would be chosen, and just how much like the original would a ‘copy’ be?

Such is an ethical dilemma of perhaps apocalyptic proportions, for should such become the norm, we may forever alter mankind as we know ourselves to be. Perhaps, for the better…but dare we take the chance?