And I really mean “a new way”, not just a novel masturbation technique. Apparently scientists at Newcastle University have figured out a way to coax an embryonic stem cell (and possibly, eventually, adult stem cells) into undergoing meiosis, the process by which a non-asexual animal’s cell divides chromosomally to produce a gamete, whether sperm or egg (or spore in some cases). The end result is that the stem cell becomes an apparently mature, viable swimmer, though its maturity is disputed by some scientists in the BBC article.

Sadly, according to the original press release, they can only produce sperm cells presently using XY chromosome stem cells, as causing XX chromosome stem cells to undergo meiosis seems to only produce a spermatogonia spermatogonium (early stage sperm cell) that never reaches full maturity.

The upshot of this advance is that we can study fertility issues and attempt to rectify them, and we can probably help homosexual women reproduce genetically. Sadly, since we can’t produce egg cells, gay men are out in the cold on this one, for now at least. I’m sure this will lead religious folks to wail and gnash their teeth, once they realize the possibility is now opened. For the moment, they are content with screaming about the destruction of embryos (hilariously, embryos that were already due for destruction but instead were donated to science from fertility treatment centres).

Josephine Quintavalle from Comment on Reproductive Ethics (Corethics) said: “This is an example of immoral madness. Perfectly viable human embryos have been destroyed in order to create sperm over which there will be huge questions of their healthiness and viability.

These perfectly viable human embryos weren’t destined for implantation to begin with, for FSM’s sake! When’s the last time you’ve heard a religious anti-abortion anti-stemcell nutbar complaining about fertility treatment centres?

Anyway, good news all around — science advances, anti-science folks’ feathers are rustled, and we’re probably mere years away from some serious direct benefits of this particular piece of research. Also, this whole thing also opens up a new avenue of answers to the age old question, “how is babby formed.”