December 31, 2006
This story about the fuss being raised over experiments to turn “gay” sheep “straight” is a preview of coming attractions of the bitter arguments that will be unleashed if parents gain the power to biotechnologically mold their progeny to suit … Read More
December 29, 2006
You would think that the MSM could at least get the simple facts about euthanasia correct. But no. In this AP piece, the wire service purports to summarize euthanasia laws around the world. And, true to type, it is mostly … Read More
December 29, 2006
Researchers seeking to use cellular treatments to relieve hemophilia have centered on tissues taken from rudimentary spleens of late stage pig embryos. The experimenters used the spleen cells to treat mice, and it appears to have worked. But note that … Read More
December 29, 2006
Derek Humphry, the suicide guru and founder of the aptly named Hemlock Society (now the euphemistically called Compassion and Choices), has a post on his blog that, I think, illustrates the death obsession of most euthanasia activists. Humphry got famous … Read More
December 29, 2006
I was interviewed by Lifebeat, a radio program affiliated, I think, with Michigan Right to Life. It is a brief look back to 2006 in which we mainly discuss the pending release of Jack Kevorkian and the passage in Missouri … Read More
December 28, 2006
The January 07 issue of Christianity Today (no link available) has a fine editorial warning against what it calls an “ethic of immortality” that has “warped our culture’s perspective” and that of the church. It quotes Leon Kass–always a good … Read More
December 28, 2006
Bobby Schindler reports some good news about his father: Bob has fully stabilized and he is being transferred today from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. Bob experienced no cognitive deficiencies from his strokes, but does need to work on … Read More
December 28, 2006
Here’s some interesting news: Greenpeace has come out forcefully against the growing Science/Industrial Complex in Germany (which, by the way, has a more “conservative” ESCR policy than the USA). It sued to prevent a German scientist from patenting a process … Read More
December 27, 2006
The Week has named my piece in the Daily Standard on Jack Kevorkian to the “Best Columns: The U.S.” in the December 29 edition. It includes a nice summary of what I wrote. (No link available.) My thanks and appreciation … Read More
December 27, 2006
Jack Kevorkian will soon be out of jail, and the current edition of Brave New Bioethics explores the infamous career of “Dr. Death,” including his desire to open euthanasia clinics, his disdain for people with disabilities, and his desire to … Read More
December 26, 2006
Dr. James Shirley, an adult stem cell scientist, has lost his appeal and will be denied tenure at MIT. Shirley, who is African-American, is charging racism. I can’t comment about that, or whether Shirley’s academic credentials would warrant tenure. But … Read More
December 26, 2006
There is word out of the UK that obese people and smokers may be denied “priority” care in the UK under potential new NHS standards. The idea, of course, is to induce people into more healthy lifestyles, which in turn, … Read More
December 22, 2006
This experiment determined that adult stem cells in a specific region of the mouse brain have a built-in mechanism that allows the cells to participate in the repair and remodeling of damaged tissue in the region . . . “The … Read More
December 22, 2006
A world-first Australian medical therapy that uses [adult] stem cells to treat degenerative spinal disease has been approved for testing on patients in the US. (Daily Telegraph)
December 22, 2006
The promise of stem cells may someday help kids say goodbye to the dreaded root canal, scientists report. A new, less-invasive treatment leaves the soft inner pulp intact, allowing the young tooth’s stem cells to continue tooth formation. (HealthDay)
December 22, 2006
Stem cell scientists have for the first time been given permission to ask donors to give their eggs for research even if they are not already having medical treatment. (Telegraph)
December 22, 2006
Creating made-to-order babies with genetic defects would seem to be an ethical minefield, but to some parents with disabilities — say, deafness or dwarfism — it just means making babies like them. (AP)
December 22, 2006
When the doctors caring for Mahdi, known then as Baby MB, decided it would be best to turn off the ventilator that was keeping him alive, Eleanor fought the decision all the way to the courts and won. (BBC)
December 22, 2006
Felled by a bullet, Cpl. Chris Klodt looks to stem cells to walk again (National Post)
December 22, 2006
Scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of the genetics behind human eye colour. They found that just a few “letters” out of the six billion that make up the genetic code are responsible for most of the variation … Read More
December 22, 2006
Learn how this process can help others with serious illnesses. (Star-Gazette)
December 22, 2006
New Jersey’s stem cell research institute will be named for Christopher Reeve, a New Jersey native who promoted stem cell research after he was paralyzed in a 1995 horse riding accident. (AP)
December 22, 2006
Nature, which is published by a unit of Macmillan Publishers Ltd., said in an editorial in Thursday’s issue that it was ending the experiment due to lack of participation. The journal found that in the competitive world of scientific publishing, … Read More
December 22, 2006
Two rival companies that sell machines designed to scan genes and find clues to curing diseases are in a price war — one that could end up accelerating genetic research. (Wall Street Journal)
December 22, 2006
Great news! Physicians in Toronto have discovered a cure for diabetes in mice. Thinking outside the box, Dr. Hans Michael Dosch and Dr. Michael Dalter injected the active ingredient in hot chili peppers, capsaicin, into the pancreatic sensory nerves in … Read More
