June 12, 2007
I grow weary: Science journalists should report science matters accurately, without spin and the usual hype seen in the ESCR/human cloning debates. Alas, we don’t see much of that in this report, byline Dave Mosher of LiveScience. The story is … Read More
June 12, 2007
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Sharma, a British Columbian physician, pled guilty to attempting to assisted the suicide of a 92-year-old nursing home resident. The woman survived. Although he was not jailed, has been stripped of his license to practice medicine and … Read More
June 11, 2007
According to this report, scientists have stored data in living neurons for the first time, opening the potentiality for “cyborg computer chips.” From the story: Many believe that complex patterns of neuronal firing are templates for memory, which the brain … Read More
June 11, 2007
This is an interesting radio interview (NPR: Diane Rehm) about the current stem cell controversies. It is worth a listen. The guests are Rick Weiss, science reporter for “The Washington Post” Dr. John Gearhart, professor of medicine and director of … Read More
June 11, 2007
Human cloning researchers are again whining that their important work is being held back by a lack of human eggs. This time, it is researchers from Harvard, as reported a few days ago in the Boston Globe. From the story: … Read More
June 10, 2007
…k.i.s.s.i.n.g, as the old childhood ditty goes. Mike Wallace took another giant step outside of objective journalism–assuming it still exists anymore–to come to his pal Kevorkian’s defense with letter to the editor in the New York Times. Kevorkian can’t “evangelize,” … Read More
June 10, 2007
Mitch Albom, a columnist for the Detroit Free Press interviewed Kevorkian face-to-face, and apparently was taken aback by what he experienced. After a little time with Kevorkian, Albom writes, “I couldn’t imagine a suffering so bad that I would want … Read More
June 10, 2007
This article out of Korea about the charlatan, Hwang Wu-suk, is a prophetic warning about what the future may hold. He plans to continue to research human cloning, but not in South Korea. Hwang, who unethically obtained eggs for his … Read More
June 8, 2007
Senator John Edwards was justly ridiculed when he stated in 2004 that people in wheelchairs would be able to walk if John Kerry were elected, because he would alter President Bush’s embryonic stem cell funding policy. This bit of outrageous … Read More
June 8, 2007
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez has whined that the assisted suicide bill was defeated because it was “demonized by the religious right.” Baloney. The religious right has about zero political power in California, particularly in the Assembly.This bill was stopped because … Read More
June 8, 2007
The Kevorkian train continues to roll. Help kill 130 people, most of whom he deemed to have lives not worth living due to disabilities. Seek the right to engage in human vivisection. Tear out one man’s kidneys, an ex cop … Read More
June 7, 2007
I just received a report that A.B. 374, which would legalize assisted suicide in California, does not have the votes to pass in the Assembly and hence, will not be brought up for a vote. This is a great, hard … Read More
June 6, 2007
Legislation that redefines human cloning so that it legalizes it while purporting to ban it altogether is all the rage these days among Big Biotech boosters. An attempt to pass such a phony ban in the Congress lost today by … Read More
June 6, 2007
The word from Sacramento is that the authors of A.B. 374, and Assembly Speaker Nunez have turned the political pressure cooker to the red zone as they seek 41 votes to pass the bill into the California Senate. So far, … Read More
June 6, 2007
Scientists continue to make headway on the goal of reverting adult cells back to an embryonic stem cell state. From the story: Their procedure makes ordinary skin cells behave like stem cells. If the same can be done with human … Read More
June 6, 2007
James Shirley, the biologist was denied tenure by MIT. An African-American, he claims racism. I suspect (but cannot prove) however, that it is his anti-human cloning and ESCR mindset that caused his denial–which is highlighted in “A Stem-Cell Heretic Makes … Read More
June 6, 2007
If this story is true, it is not the first time that Africans have been used in unethical experiments that would never be attempted in developed nations. Pfizer is being sued by Nigeria for killing and disabling children whilst testing … Read More
June 5, 2007
This article in Wired demonstrates that, due to genetic engineering, animals may be becoming even more useful in medical research. From the story: A panel of 36 mice could finally deliver the long-unfulfilled promise of personalized medicine. The mice were … Read More
June 5, 2007
The disability rights community may be getting a bit under Jack Kevorkian’s skin. Also, contrary to his lawyer’s many claims, Kevorkian apparently isn’t near his death bed. He said his hepatitis isn’t bothering him currently, but he worries that his … Read More
June 5, 2007
Assemblywoman Patty Berg, the driving legislator behind A.B. 374, the bill to legalize assisted suicide in California, is calling for reinforcements from the left wing base of the Democratic Party. Apparently, she doesn’t have the votes to prevail, and so … Read More
June 4, 2007
The CBS Web site has posted my NRO piece on Jack Kevorkian, which provides information in Kevorkian’s own words about his actual motives and history, important issues that most media simply won’t discuss. Thanks to CBS for the attempt at … Read More
June 3, 2007
I just watched the 60 Minutes interview of Kevorkian, and it was everything I expected it wouldn’t be. First, “the hug” is not shown. The video of Kevorkian’s release is shown, and when Wallace is meeting Kevorkian, the video cuts … Read More
June 3, 2007
Jan Grzebski has awakened after 19 years of unconsciousness. When he was in an accident, Poland was in the throes of a communist tyranny. Now it is free, and rocking and rolling (which I also saw on my recent visit … Read More
June 2, 2007
Swiss authorities are surprised, nay, SHOCKED, that Swiss suicide clinics help the depressed to kill themselves. Well, of course they do! After all, the Swiss Supreme Court has ruled that the mentally ill have a constitutional right to assisted suicide. … Read More
June 1, 2007
Well, I bit. It turns out that the Dutch television show in which a woman was going to decide who would receive her kidney was a hoax designed to pressure the government into changing the organ procurement laws. The reason … Read More
