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New Hope for Stem Cell Research
ExE122 writes "A new scientific breakthrough allows scientists to harvest stem cells without harming the embryo. From the article: ''We have shown that we can not only generate stem cells without destroying the embryo, but that the remaining embryo also has the potential to go to on create a healthy blastocyst' said Dr Lanza, whose team's research is published in Nature. Asked if he expected the advance to satisfy President Bush, Dr Lanza said: 'Well, as you know, the President objects to the fact that you would be sacrificing one life to save another, and in this instance there is no harm to the embryo.''"
where's the Left Wing Say-anything-to-get-me-elected-zealot?
"Lab Tech 2: "Would you like to adopt one? Right Wing Right-to-Life Zealot: "Absolutely not!!! I insist they not be murdered, but I'm no charity, go find someone else to raise it!"
Makes sense.... as much as the idea that anyone opposed to the death penalty being should be required to take death row inmates into their homes.
Where were you when the voynix came?
> The President objects to things he doesn't understand.
Clearly untrue! The President has always been an avid supporter of the war in Iraq.
I'm pro-life and voted for GW (a minority on /. from the sounds of it), but I for one would be very pleased and happy to vote for this new stem cell research. As long as it is confirmed that the embryos are not being harmed, I am all for this. I don't have an ethical issue with cloning (although I see it as a major problem if the technology was abused ... just take for example several of the movies that have been released about cloning). I would hope that GW would come out supporting this new stem cell research that does not harm the embryo.
You don't understand the goal. (Most) Scientists do not want to create a clone of an entire person - rather the idea is to clone parts (e.g. organs such as the liver, heart, and lungs) so that people who need a transplant can get a clone of their own heart rather than trying to match something from a dead donor.
For an interesting perspective on the impact of life and culture in the future without the benefit of cloned organs - try reading some of Larry Nivens works. (I think Limits is the collection with the stories of a detective who goes after black market organ harvesters.)
I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress -J Adams
I'm not demonizing anyone.
However, I do believe that the bulk of our societies sex issues have a religious root, and I don't think that adding more religion is the answer, especially since their method of dealing with the problem is basically to deny it exists until a child is born.
The first step is to slow down the number of unwanted pregnancies, and that takes education, and that takes contraception, and since the church is anti-sex ed, and opposed to providing any form of contraception, and only promotes the use of abstinence/"Please god don't let me get pregnant", I don't see how getting them more involved is going to help in any way.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
Technechly, all body cells have two sets, so should all cells be protected? I know that seems silly, but the issue I am pointing out is can you really call something a seperate organism if it cannot, in any way, live outside in another organism? If you remove an embryo from a mother, it would die, just like if it were skin cells you scraped off. Also, if the mother is not in good condition for some reason (injury, malnutrion, ect.), the body will get rid of it, causing a miscarrage. It is totally dependent, and therefore, IMO, it isn't a life yet, just another part of the woman carrying it.
Also, no matter what you do, women will have abortions by inducing miscarrages, often in unhealty ways. By making it illegal, you are trading potential lifes for actually lifes of women everywhere.
I give bread to the poor, they call me a saint.
I ask why the poor have no bread, they call me a communist.