Thursday, January 03, 2008

What Universities Do

This blog frequently champions the wisdom of utilising the dynamism and inventiveness of the private sector. But even I've never been an advocate of 'the market' in the sexual exploitation of the female of the species - even if I do think Harriet Harman's campaign to abolish what is often termed the oldest profession known to mankind is unlikely to succeed. Well. today we learn that Macaque monkeys have developed their own 'biological market' based on supply and demand whereby females not only 'charge' for services rendered but vary the price according to the market.

According to research carried out by Michael Gumert of Nanyang Technical University, Singapore, the price charged is in 'grooming units'. It seems that the fewer the number of females in a particular area, the more units are charged. Where there's an over supply of females, the price is 8 minutes, while if an under supply exists the price rises to 16 minutes. Mr Gumert's identification of this 'biological market' is supported by other research carried out at Strasbourg University in France and the Humboldt University in Berlin.

Following this discovery, we should expect the Labour Government to bring forward legislation to abolish 'grooming' by male Macaque monkeys. We should expect Harriet Harman to insist that such a measure be included in the next Queen's Speech.

No comments: