Mice discovered accidentally at the Wistar Institute in Pennsylvania have the seemingly miraculous ability to regenerate like a salamander, and even regrow vital organs.

Researchers systematically amputated digits and damaged various organs of the mice, including the heart, liver and brain, most of which grew back.

The results stunned scientists because if such regeneration is possible in this mammal, it might also be possible in humans.

The researchers also made a remarkable second discovery: When cells from the regenerative mice were injected into normal mice, the normal mice adopted the ability to regenerate. And when the special mice bred with normal mice, their offspring inherited souped-up regeneration capabilities.

The mice, known as the MRL strain, were specially bred to develop lupus. But researchers don't know why exactly the animals' injuries heal so well.

Researchers systematically amputated digits and damaged various organs of the mice, including the heart, liver and brain, most of which grew back.

Wow. Now we're just black leather outfits, a militaristic society, and a perpetual pout away from becoming Sebaceans.

It's a tough life, being a lab mouse.

It's a man's life in an animal testing laboratory.

(I'm the only one who will get that joke, sadly.)

I trampolined this morning. So much fun! I hadn't done it since I was a kid. Hooray for exercise that doesn't bore me to tears!

Actually, most of us get the Monty Python references.

Actually, most of us get the Monty Python references.

Yes, it's all part of "The Test," which you'll find out soon enough.

OK, I have a question: the NASA site gives the times for the eclipse tomorrow in UT, which I assume is Universal Time (and not University of Texas, Utah, or urinary tract). What does that translate to here on Earth? GMT?

[link]

UT is used as a basis for calculating time throughout most of the world. UT is also called Greenwich Time, Greenwich Mean Time, Zulu Time. It is the time along the prime meridian (0 longitude) that runs through the Greenwich Observatory outside of London, UK, where the current system originated.

eta: Of course, anything astronomy-related to the Earth has exceptions:

UT, GMT and UTC can be used interchangeably (*)

*There are three separate definitions, UT0, UT1, and UT2, depending on which corrections have been applied to the Earth's motion. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) also known as Civil Time is kept within 0.9 seconds of UT1, by the addition of leap seconds to International Atomic Time (TAI). TAI is based on atomic clocks. The last leap second added to UTC was on December 31, 1998 at 23:59:60 UTC (the last minute of 1998 had one extra second). There will be no leap second in June 2003 but may be in December 2003, it will not be decided until July 2003! UT, GMT and UTC differ negligibly; therefore, they are used and can be used interchangeably without ill effect.

I bow before your google-fu.

Also, thanks!