Librarians as a sub-species.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph of 8 Feb 2004, Robert Matthews (a science journalist) discussed recent research on the genetics of mice and men.

"In August 2002, the complete genetic code for the mouse was established, with results that stunned researchers. They found that the genomes of mice and men are virtually identical, with just 300 genes distinguishing us from these furry creatures.

Now to anyone with an ounce of common sense, this is evidence not of our essentially rodent-like nature but of the failings in our understanding of genes. Yet, one academic featured on [a Radio 4 documentary], Dr Priscilla Lane of the Jackson Laboratories in Maine, cheerfully declared that "The mouse is as close to the human as you can get".

Clearly, Dr Lane needs to eat less cheese and get out more. With the possible exception of especially diffident librarians, there is clearly a gulf between the mouse and the human."

Any librarian who wishes to challenge this view may contact Robert Matthews at the Sunday Telegraph.


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