Abreu - Slashdot User

Submission + - Sperm donor ordered to pay child support 1

Submitted by Abreu on Thursday December 04, 2008 @12:50PM

Abreu writes: UPI reports:

A London firefighter who donated sperm so lesbian friends could have children said he was shocked and angered to learn they're demanding child support.

Britain's Child Support Agency says only anonymous sperm donors are exempt from child support responsibilities unless the children are legally adopted. The agency has asked Andy Bathie, 37, to pay thousands of pounds in child support for a girl and boy born to Sharon and Terri Arnold

Submission + - Battlefield robots would behave more ethically (nytimes.com)

Submitted by

Abreu

on Tuesday November 25, 2008 @11:44AM

Abreu writes: "The New York Times prints:

In the heat of battle, their minds clouded by fear, anger or vengefulness, even the best-trained soldiers can act in ways that violate the Geneva Conventions or battlefield rules of engagement. Now some researchers suggest that robots could do better.

"My research hypothesis is that intelligent robots can behave more ethically in the battlefield than humans currently can," said Ronald C. Arkin, a computer scientist at Georgia Tech, who is designing software for battlefield robots under contract with the Army. "That's the case I make."

Now, are civilians in danger going to believe a machine that tells them "Come with me if you want to live"?"

Submission + - Semen acts like an anti-depressant

Submitted by Abreu on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @04:13PM

Abreu writes: Semen makes women happy. That's the remarkable conclusion of a study comparing women whose partners wear condoms with those whose partners don't, according to this article in the New Scientist

The study, which is bound to provoke controversy, showed that the women who were directly exposed to semen were less depressed. The researchers think this is because mood-altering hormones in semen are absorbed through the vagina. They say they have ruled out other explanations.

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