One month ago this morning, NPR reported on human chimeras. Chimeras, (earning their name from the Greek mythological creature who had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent), refer to human individuals who have two completely separate sets of genomes -- a phenomenon that occurs when two fertilized eggs combine in the womb to create a single embryo. This particular article concerned itself with the case when fraternal twins at an early stage of embryonic development fuse and become one. (Human chimeras may also exist where the fraternal twins were male and female, causing the chimera to be a hermaphrodite; mosaicism, a condition where blood between twins is shared in the womb also occurs.)

Of particular concern to me is the phrase I used earlier: 'when fraternal twins at an early stage of embryonic development fuse and become one'. What, may I ask, becomes of the 'extra' soul? If we believe that the soul is breathed into the body at the point of conception and that the soul is unique to the person (i.e., each body receives its own soul and, unlike other faiths, souls do not reincarnate), one might wonder what happens when 'two become one'. It's not as if one body dies and the soul perishes with it; no, in this case the bodies fuse but who can say what becomes of the two souls. Is it possible for two souls to co-exist in one body? That would seem to run against the grain of the vast majority of theological arguments to date. Do the two souls 'merge' just as the DNA does? Hmm.

Ah, there's nothing like a long break from the blog.

So; what've I been thinking about? Lots. Everything from chimerism and missing souls to being a better husband and father to living in our 'microwave society' to brick patios. That should do nicely for quite some time, don't you think?

First on the list: chimerism and missing souls.

Links of interest: Princess Leia and Admiral Ackbar never had it so good
Oy, veh!