August 28, 2007
When the wife and younger daughter of Rear Adm. Kenneth P. Moritsugu of the Navy were fatally injured in separate automobile accidents, he authorized the donation of organs and tissues from both of them. (New York Times)
August 28, 2007
Some scientific results are hard to spot, especially in genetic research. Often scientists are unable to physically see if the gene they inserted into a cell has produced the desired trait. To overcome this problem researchers use various genetic markers … Read More
August 28, 2007
Mehtab Ashraf knows the risks. Her neighbor died, her cousin’s husband died, her husband and cousin are sick. But she has five children to raise. So, like hundreds of others in this farming village, Ashraf plans to sell her only … Read More
August 27, 2007
A recent Gallup Poll rated the views of the American people on key moral issues. Here are the results regarding issues of concern here at SHS. The first number reflects “Morally Acceptable,” the second “Morally Wrong:” – Medical research using … Read More
August 27, 2007
Another big resignation at the CIRM. This time, the head science officer. From the story: The top scientific officer at California’s stem cell agency has resigned, effective Oct. 31. Arlene Chiu, interim chief scientific officer since April, made the announcement … Read More
August 27, 2007
Geron his issued another press release claiming advances in embryonic stem cell research, and once again saying, as it has for years, that the company is very close to human trials. But that is not the point of this post. … Read More
August 27, 2007
A horror rock opera with Paris Hilton? The emphasis must be on “a horror.” Indeed, the futuristic musical, announced by the Associated Press, is about a dystopia in which characters must purchase new organs if they are to survive a … Read More
August 27, 2007
Doctors are too focused on treating the sick and risk missing the enormous opportunities of using advances in medical science to “make happier, better people,” a gathering in Australia was told. Eminent bio-ethicist Julian Savulescu, professor of practical ethics at … Read More
August 27, 2007
The latest fad in American health care is to give discounts to workers who are healthy. Many corporate CEOs and their benefits department managers are showing enthusiasm for the idea that workers who don’t take care of themselves ought to … Read More
August 27, 2007
Working with embryonic mouse brains, a team of Johns Hopkins scientists seems to have discovered an almost-too-easy way to distinguish between “true” neural stem cells and similar, but less potent versions. Their finding, reported in Nature, could simplify the isolation … Read More
August 27, 2007
Amputee athletes are reaching the point where they can perform as well as their able-bodied counterparts. Someday soon, they may even surpass them. (Technology Review)
August 27, 2007
A nutritious cocktail helped human embryonic stem cells thrive and repair the damaged hearts of rats, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday. (Washington Post)
August 26, 2007
A crisis looms in China as 18 million men want wives and the women don’t exist because of forced abortion, female infanticide, and other eugenic actions resulting from China’s one child policy. From the story in the Guardian: China is … Read More
August 26, 2007
The momentum is growing in some quarters advocating for what is often called “rational suicide.” One of the first articles I saw about “rational suicide” was written some nine years ago by a former Hemlock Society activist and psychologist named … Read More
August 24, 2007
Airic’s_arm is inspired by nature. Based on a combination of mechatronics and the biological model of a human being, it opens up new possibilities for future automated movement processes. The Airic’s_arm is a robotic arm fitted with artificial bones and … Read More
August 24, 2007
Artificial Life and Robotics Issue 11(2) July, 2007 is now available by subscription only. Articles of Interest: “Heterochrony and evolvability in neural network development” by Artur Manuel Ribeiro dos Santos Caldas de Matos, Reiji Suzuki and Takaya Arita, 175-182. “Comparison … Read More
August 24, 2007
Zygon Issue 42(3) is now available by subscription only. Articles of Interest: Crossing Species Boundaries “Cross-Species Chimeras: Exploring a Possible Christian Perspective” by Neville Cobbe, 599–628. “Approaching Religious Guidelines for Chimera Policymaking” by Stephen M. Modell, 629–642. “On Chimeras” by … Read More
August 24, 2007
Eric Miller’s career as an Army Ranger wasn’t ended by a battlefield wound, but his DNA. Lurking in his genes was a mutation that made him vulnerable to uncontrolled tumor growth. After suffering back pain during a tour in Afghanistan, … Read More
August 23, 2007
October 5-6, 2007, Nashville, Tennessee The Humanitas Forum on Christianity and Culture will host three lectures entitled “Listening to Biotechnology: What It Tells Us About Our Souls” by Dr. Peter A. Lawler, Member of the President’s Council on Bioethics and … Read More
August 23, 2007
COUPLES who donate their excess IVF embryos may be able to choose the prospective recipients under a radical policy change being considered by Victorian health authorities. The change could involve following the approach of New Zealand, where couples who donate … Read More
August 23, 2007
Using DNA, the molecule that carries life’s genetic instructions, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are studying how to control both the speed of nanoparticle assembly and the structure of its resulting nanoclusters. Learning how to … Read More
August 23, 2007
About a million adults in the city lacked health insurance in 2005, though most were employed, the health department said Wednesday. Topping the list of uninsured were adults ages 18 to 24, men and Hispanics. Of those without insurance, 700,000 … Read More
August 23, 2007
For Wesley Smith, author of Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder, the circumstances surrounding the death of Jana Van Voorhis provide a chilling example of a movement running amuck. “This is the secret that a … Read More
August 23, 2007
Missouri’s battle over embryonic stem-cell research intensified Wednesday as a new group proposed a ballot measure seeking to outlaw a particular research method that voters narrowly endorsed just last year. The group Cures Without Cloning launched its campaign by filing … Read More
August 23, 2007
The deep divide in the medical profession about charging patients for their health care came into sharp focus yesterday when doctors narrowly defeated a user-fee motion at the annual Canadian Medical Association meeting. The motion, which proposed that patients should … Read More
