Early Edition

1. Cain Preparing To Back Gingrich
If the New York Post is to be believed (and that is very much an open question), Herman Cain is preparing to throw his support behind Gingrich. This could put Gingrich either ahead of Romney or within striking distance on him in most major primary states. Though I’ve seen polls from Iowa and New Hampshire that show Paul in third place, though he trails both Gingrich and Romney by close to double digits. It’s worth hoping some of the Cain folks will disregard his advice and jump for Paul, but not likely.

2. Atheist Chaplains
It sounds like oxymoron, but the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers is pushing for the military to bring on thousands of atheist or humanist chaplains to counsel atheist and agnostic soldiers. If the military ultimately refuses this request in a post-DADT America, I’d regard it as more than a bit hypocritical, or at best selective. But as is usually the case, no one will shed a tear for the atheists given short shrift.

3. Return of the Megafauna
Scientists have been wanting to clone the woolly mammoth for some time now, but with the recovery of intact bone marrow preserved in permafront, they now have all the materials and technology they need to make it happen (in theory). I say go for it, clone the sh*t out of them. If only the giant sloth’s genetic material were so readily available…

4. Growing Organs
Progress marches on in the field of lab-grown human organs, with more and more encouraging results. I can only wonder how the world of a few centuries from now will deal with the reduction or elimination of consequences for hedonistic behavior. Taxing lab-grown organs or replacement surgeries? Legislating the standards applied to eligibility for the surgery (lifelong smokers are not eligible or pushed to the end of the waiting list)? Oh, and on an unrelated note, my new word of the day, thanks to this article, is “invaginate.”