Lab notes: we are starlight, we are slug slime ...

Proving that Joni Mitchell is one of the greatest astrophysicists of our time (followed closely by Moby, obviously,) simulations have revealed that up to half the material in our home galaxy - and by extension in our bodies - arrived from smaller galactic neighbours, as a result of powerful supernova explosions. Add to this the news that the moon is wetter than we thought, which raises new possibilities for lunar exploration, and frankly, I'm starting to feel positively intergalactic. Back here on Earth, however, the picture is a mixture of optimism and concern. On the one hand, an extremely exciting piece of research (described as a "tour de force" by one expert, so there you go) has shown that the hypothalamus controls ageing, and that implanting stem cell from it into the brains of mice slowed their rate of ageing and kept them mentally and physically fit for longer. They're hoping to conduct human trials soon. So far so life-affirming, but on the other hand we have the rather worrying news that sperm counts among western men have halved in last 40 years. Nobody seems to know why, and it appears that this is partly because men's reproductive health is a rather neglected area. Researchers have also found a strong association between consuming higher levels of sugar and depression in men (a link not seen in women). Looks like we need to start paying better attention to men's health - mental and physical - or all that extra old age spent bouncing around our moon colony is going to be no fun at all.