This sounds like science fiction.

Neurobiologists recently announced they could change the sexual preference of fruit flies with a chemical. One of the researchers feels that this technique could eventually be applied to human beings.

Imagine that!

Still, I think that human sexual behavior is so much more complex than fruit flies that the pills might change some basic urges, but not the veritable railroad track of behavior laid down by our years of habits and thoughts. I suppose that this could become a recreational drug at some time, provided human sexual behavior and thinking ever became so ambiguous that one could easily conceive of "switching teams". I wonder what this would do for the truly bisexual?

As for me, I'm pretty conservative about mood-altering drugs in general and I wonder what kind of therapeutic benefit this could ever produce. Would this allow society to announce once and for all that homosexuality is a pathological matter? After all, if you can "cure" it, wouldn't that give weight to the argument that this is a disorder? In doing so, don't we diminish the human dignity of those who are gay? After all, a human being is a complex miracle and a huge part of who we are is our sexuality (sorry for the religious reference). How is reversing such a basic urge and fundamental part of who we are a good thing? It won't prevent disease, make you thrive, or allow you to live longer. What good is that?

CDs listened to today:

• Ludwig von Beethoven: The Diabelli Variations
• the apples in stereo: Fun Trick Noisemaker
• Jesus Guridi: Sinfonia Pirenaica
• Alban Berg: Concerto for Violin
• Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel
• stellastarr*: (eponymous)
• Elliott Carter: Symphonia: Sum Fluxae Pretium Spei