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Anne McLaren

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Scientist

The Resume

    (April 26, 1927-July 7, 2007)
    Born in London, United Kingdom
    Biologist known for her research in embryo development and fertility
    Demonstrated that an embryo could be removed from one mouse, raised in vitro, and implanted into another mouse (1958)
    Served on the Warnock Committee advising the British government of the ethical and legal implications of in vitro fertilization (1982-84)
    Co-founder of the Frozen Ark project to save DNA from endangered species (2004)
    Died with her ex-husband in a car crash on the M11 motorway

Why she might be annoying:

    She originally wanted to major in English literature but was unable to pass the Oxford entrance exams. She was able to pass the exams in zoology, however.
    She made the first cages for the mice in her experiments out of baking tins bought at Woolworths.
    She said she was surprised by the amount of ethical debate that her research generated.
    She joined the Communist Party of Great Britain while in college and remained a member until it disbanded in 1991.

Why she might not be annoying:

    At age seven, she appeared in the film version of H.G. Wells' 'Things to Come.'
    Her research paved the way for in vitro fertilization and test tube babies.
    Baroness Mary Warnock, head of the eponymous committee, said she was 'spellbinding' in explaining scientific concepts to laypeople.
    She was the first female officer in the history of the Royal Society (the oldest scientific society in the world), serving as Foreign Secretary (1991-96) and Vice President (1992-96).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 23 Votes: 69.57% Annoying