EARLIER this month, a UK team announced that it had created sperm in the lab, prompting renewed speculation about a future without men, plus the usual quips along the lines of "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle". This week, a study has shown for the first time that fathers see a surge in the "cuddle chemical" oxytocin after their child is born, while those with higher levels of the hormone play more with their kids. Meanwhile, studies in mice indicate that without fathers offspring grow up to be less sociable (see page 12). There are those who will overinterpret these tentative findings as proof of the need to maintain "traditional" family values and oppose adoption by same-sex couples. They are not. But, for men at least, biology is delivering a reassuring message: they have their uses.
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Of course we have our uses, and they are exponentially increased when we become Grandfathers
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