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Dolly was the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell. The cloning was carried out by scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh by inserting DNA from a single sheep cell into an egg and implanting it in a surrogate mother. When the ewe was born on 5 July 1996, she was given the name Dolly after the American country-and-western singer Dolly Parton, due to the fact that she was cloned from a mammary cell. (If you know Dolly Parton, you’ll understand why!)
Dolly’s birth was heralded as one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of the late 20th century. Subsequent DNA tests revealed that Dolly was identical to the ewe who donated the mammary cell and not the surrogate mother. After cloning was successfully demonstrated through the production of Dolly, many other large mammals were cloned, including pigs, deer, horses and bulls.
Dolly’s arrival sparked ethical concerns regarding its application to human beings – the idea of a Hitler-type ‘master race’ was much discussed in the media. All this concern proved unfounded. Today, cloning is helping scientists understand genetic diseases and the aging process. Dolly lived only six years; on 14 February 2003, she was put down because of an incurable lung disease and severe arthritis. She was given to the National Museums Scotland, and her remains are conserved as an exhibit. Dolly is now on display in the Museum’s Co
For Auld Lang Syne
The song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is one of Scotland’s great gifts to the world. It’s traditionally sung at midnight on Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) from Tokyo to New York to celebrate the start of the New Year. But it’s also used at many gatherings from
ceilidhs
(traditional parties with music and dancing), to
Burns suppers
(celebrations of the life of the poet Robert Burns), to Boy Scout jamborees and more, to bring the proceedings to a glorious end. The song has been recorded by countless recording artists, including Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley!
Written by the national bard, Robert Burns, in 1788,‘Auld Lang Syne’ recalls the love and kindness of days gone by, but by taking our neighbours’ hands during the singing, it also points to a future based on community and friendship. The universality of these sentiments is the reason for its popularity and longevity.
The literal translation of the song’s title into English is ‘old long since’.