After the tur­moil and con­fu­sion that accom­pa­nied the con­fir­ma­tion of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, you may not want to hear any more about Wash­ing­ton and sex. But there is anoth­er sto­ry that has been qui­et­ly unfold­ing — about Wash­ing­ton, sex, and sci­ence — that deserves a wider airing.