Yep--a vector--that's what California professor Richard Cardullo
said. He's the big-name biologist who recently gave a talk to a
bunch of middle school students about how killing sperm can save
the planet. Of course, this is the same guy federal agencies
chose to help redevelop the way biological sciences are taught
in this country. (More details here.) But let's back up a
minute. If you're like me, you're wondering: What's a vector,
anyway? Time for a quiz on biological science vocabulary. Let's
do multiple choice to make it more fun. In biology, a vector is:
A.) A warp-drive calculation developed on the Starship
Enterprise to aid four-dimensional space-time navigation. B.) A
middle-eastern sand weasel distantly related to the pygmy
marmoset. C.) An organism that transmits disease by conveying
pathogens from one host to another. I'll bet you can guess the
answer. P.S. Here's a bonus question--If sperm is a vector, then
what does that make a baby?