Nanog

Enough about the house. This article in the Washington Post (via MSNBC) talks about the discovery of the stem cell "master gene." This gene, dubbed nanog, is what is responsible for giving stem cells their ability to regenerate and become any kind of cell. This discovery could lead to an understanding how stem cells work. This is the kind of thing that is both exciting and depressing to me. On the one hand I'm excited about the possibilities for curing disease and prolonging human life. On the other hand I worry that I was born too late to live indefinitely. 50 years ago DNA was discovered. In another 50 years it could be possible to extend human life forever or until your hit by a bus. I wonder what it would be like to be the last generation to die. Now there's an idea for a film.