Seminal Work

The Worcester area continues to be a hotbed for scientists looking to redefine sex and human reproduction. In the 1950's, female oral contraceptives were developed there. A few years ago, Advanced Cell Technologies cloned the first human embryo. And today, Dr. George Witman announced plans
for the male birth control pill:

The approach by the UMass Medical School scientists involves turning off the tiny tails that allow sperm to swim to the female egg for fertilization. If their theory is right -- and animal studies suggest it is -- the method could result in a male contraceptive that is easy to take, free of side effects, and reversible.

UMass has forged a licensing deal with a Norwegian biotech company called SpermaTech to use this pioneering approach to develop a male pill, a process that could require a decade of lab work and human testing.

Yep, they're definitely swimming against the tide with this. Be still my beating... heart. Alright, ok, I'll stop. But this stuff is so ripe for humor, I think even reporter Stephen Smith got into the act:

When researchers at the foundation wanted to better understand how they might be able to prevent men from reproducing, they decided to look at pond scum.

Of course! This is why previous attempts failed -- none took the appropriate perspective on male behavior. Either that, or there's just something about being in Worcester that inspires thoughts of stopping sexual reproduction.