The education system when I was in secondary school necessitated a compromise when selecting O-level subjects which meant I opted to miss out on biology despite wanting to choose it. I had no desire to study French but was “advised” to do so by everyone I consulted, including the parents, who didn’t share my enthusiasm for the only viable alternative: tech drawing. Had it been an option it would certainly have been biology... but the way the subjects were grouped ruled out that possibility.

As it was my reservations about French proved well founded. I failed it... the only subject I did fail, languages never being one of my strengths at school. I did pass English but it took years of perseverance for my understanding of it to take me into a career in journalism, so when it comes to articles about genetics, medicine and reproduction I have to confess I have to resort to layman’s terms as that’s about as far as my schooling took me.

But like William Shatner - you know, captain of the Enterprise, presenter of a Discovery channel documentary series about strange phenomena - I’m aware the world is full of “things that amaze and confound me, every single day incredible mysteries that keep me awake at night, some I can answer, others just defy logic”.... FULL STORY