January 5, 2008
My pal Bill Hurlbut expounds in this radio interview on the moral responsibilities of scientists, the human future, and other matters of interest to SHSers. For example, he explains why he holds the human embryo as having intrinsic moral worth: … Read More
January 4, 2008
Professor Robert Edwards, the creator of IVF, was featured recently in a newspaper profile. The results demonstrate–as we have discussed here previously about James Watson–that being a brilliant scientist does not necessarily translate into the ability to engage in sound … Read More
January 4, 2008
I received a solicitation by e-mail because of my “interest” in transhumanism from the “Terasem Movement Foundation” offering a Web site that will–for free: …preserve one’s individual consciousness so that it remains viable for possible uploading with consciousness software into … Read More
January 3, 2008
This is an interesting turn of events: San Francisco has been abuzz about a new health care plan designed to cover everyone in the city. A court ruling has (for now) prevented City Commissars from taxing businesses to pay for … Read More
January 1, 2008
The meltdown of the UK’s NHS is hitting unbelievable lows. Now, patients with conditions such as asthma and arthritis are being told, “Treat yourselves.” From the story: Instead of going to hospital or consulting a doctor, patients will be encouraged … Read More
December 25, 2007
We’ve heard stories like this before: In the UK, deaf parents want the right to ensure having deaf children through embryo selection. From the story: DEAF parents should be allowed to screen their embryos so they can pick a deaf … Read More
December 20, 2007
Once, when patients were hospitalized, their own doctors would follow and coordinate the care provided by whatever specialist was needed. But economics, the desire to reduce the length of hospital stays, and the unique challenges of providing hospitalized care led … Read More
December 19, 2007
The human cloners over at Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures are sure a disingenuous lot, for example, claiming in Amendment 2 to have outlawed human cloning when the measure actually legalized it. Now, a representative has a letter in the … Read More
December 19, 2007
Several years ago, the Montana Supreme Court basically ruled that whatever a patient wants to do with a willing medical provider should not be impeded by the government. Not surprisingly, as I mentioned here at SHS, it bred a lawsuit … Read More
December 18, 2007
“Conscience Clause” laws that would permit pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control pill prescriptions or doctors to perform abortions, are growing in political prominence. By way of push back, some states are passing laws requiring pharmacists to dispense birth … Read More
December 17, 2007
Brave New Britain is showing us the future of eugenic procreation unless we are very careful, the perceived right to only have children who pass health–and eventually attribute–muster. Where once pre-implatation genetic diagnosis was reserved to prevent babies from being … Read More
December 16, 2007
As I pointed out in an earlier post, the syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman recently castigated President Bush for “betting on the wrong horse,” e.g., adult stem cells, in the stem cell debate. This was ignorant and ridiculous, as even casual … Read More
December 16, 2007
I am regularly contacted by families who believe their loved ones have been terribly mistreated in hospitals. Sometimes, it is clearly a misunderstanding and I try to set their minds at ease. At other times, the story seems to be … Read More
December 15, 2007
A promising new adult stem cell treatment for breast reconstruction of women who have had lump-ectomies to treat breast cancer has been reported in the Washington Post. From the story: For the first time, doctors have used stem cells from … Read More
December 13, 2007
I am assuming that the descriptions in this story are accurate for purposes of analysis. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution: Alicia Fennell had just one hour to save her husband’s life. Doctors at Emory Eastside Medical Center in Snellville … Read More
December 13, 2007
The current Futile Care Theory fuss in Canada, in which a hospital wants to remove Samuel Golubchuk’s respirator and feeding tube because he is diagnosed as unconscious, seems to be playing out in the polls as favoring the family that … Read More
December 12, 2007
When I was in Toronto recently at the international anti-euthanasia conference, I focused my speech on the looming threat of Futile Care Theory as the next big bioethical controversy. And already, I am proved prescient. A Canadian hospital is trying … Read More
December 11, 2007
A column in the KC Star grouses that the state is funding life sciences research into animal and plant experiments, but not human studies. From the column by Jason Gertzen: The Missouri General Assembly created the trust fund and the … Read More
December 11, 2007
In the NRO, I credited President Bush’s ESCR funding restrictions for having played a part into the quest to find non-embryonic sources of pluripotent stem cells–cells “the scientists” insisted they needed to fulfill the total promise of regenerative medicine. My … Read More
December 10, 2007
Saving the planet is all the rage these days. Now, an Australian bioethicist wants to charge people a carbon tax for having children. The money would be used to plant trees as an offset to the global warming that the … Read More
December 10, 2007
I had to think about this, but I think the parents’ decision to order their profoundly disabled daughter not to receive CPR at school if she has a cardiac arrest is very wrong. From the story: As the school bus … Read More
December 9, 2007
This isn’t good: In the UK some organs have been transplanted from drug addicts and cases of drug overdose because, allegedly, cases were desperate. And the answer to this disturbing bit of news? “Presumed consent” to organ donation. From the … Read More
December 8, 2007
Stories like this are finally breaking the back of the CURES! CURES! CURES! ESCR/cloning hype brigade: A patient is being treated with bone marrow stem cells as part of spinal surgery to help in healing. From the story in the … Read More
December 7, 2007
The potential for conflict of interest is always an issue when billions of dollars are on the line. But it is built into the system of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, tasked with distributing $300 million of borrowed money … Read More
December 6, 2007
Research into the new iPS cells is moving forward at a seemingly breathtaking pace. Mouse studies carried out at Harvard demonstrate that they have the capacity to treat sickle-cell anemia. From the story: Mice with a human sickle-cell anemia disease … Read More
