Judge Halts Human-Embryonic Stem Cell Research

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Wars are good, cures are bad.

Why does it have to make a profit?

Who is supposed to pay for it? Private organizations are going to invest their money if they can see some kind of benefit for it.

If it CAN help, it will almost certainly make a profit.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Wars are good, cures are bad.

Why does it have to make a profit?

I've learned to distrust anyone who promises a) great wealth or b) eternal life.

[Hanni]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Check out Ancestor by Scott Sigler and tell me this genetic research stuff is a good idea: http://www.scottsigler.com/ancestor

You understand the definition of "fiction" right? This is no different than using Jurassic Park as the same argument.

Originally Posted by peter12

But it's okay for government to sink taxpayers' money into the unknown? Gotcha

There are no guarantees that we will find cures for any disease, just because we don't know is a terrible excuse not to fund research. The purpose of research is to determine the unknown.

[simmonjam1]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Check out Ancestor by Scott Sigler and tell me this genetic research stuff is a good idea: http://www.scottsigler.com/ancestor

You use a horror novel as a reason to reject stem cell research? Okay, going off of a work of fiction, wouldn't it make sense to publicly fund stuff like this to prevent 'greedy' corporations from trying to monopolize the technology and thus raping the consumer?

btw...that was the first Trailer I ever saw for a book...

[Since1984]

I still don't see why people make this out to be some human tragedy...There is plenty of proof that stem cells are an integral part of finding cures for many "incurable" diseases.

Some people honestly need to get off there high horse and maybe realize that some advances in medicine come at certain costs, but these costs are minimal when it comes to the pain and suffering people with these diseases live with everyday.

There are many forms of stem cells which are "harvested" in many different ways. I don't see how harvesting Blood chord stem cells hurts anyone.

Embryonic stem cells on the other hand are a little more controversial. But whoever decides to donate their test tube babies and what not to science it is there choice and has nothing to do with any of us.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by peter12

But it's okay for government to sink taxpayers' money into the unknown? Gotcha.

That's generally what public research institutions do. Where exactly are you studying at the moment? A public institution? And your findings and the value of them, if any, are a certainty?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Since1984

I still don't see why people make this out to be some human tragedy...There is plenty of proof that stem cells are an integral part of finding cures for many "incurable" diseases.

Some people honestly need to get off there high horse and maybe realize that some advances in medicine come at certain costs, but these costs are minimal when it comes to the pain and suffering people with these diseases live with everyday.

There are many forms of stem cells which are "harvested" in many different ways. I don't see how harvesting Blood chord stem cells hurts anyone.

Embryonic stem cells on the other hand are a little more controversial. But whoever decides to donate their test tube babies and what not to science it is there choice and has nothing to do with any of us.

I don't think anyone has a problem with stem cell research. But the usage of embryonic stem cells is like you said controversial.

I support stem cell research. Still don't know if I support embryonic stem cell research though.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by Azure

I don't think anyone has a problem with stem cell research. But the usage of embryonic stem cells is like you said controversial.

I support stem cell research. Still don't know if I support embryonic stem cell research though.

I on the other hand would drink the blood of infants if it made me immortal.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by simmonjam1

You use a horror novel as a reason to reject stem cell research? Okay, going off of a work of fiction, wouldn't it make sense to publicly fund stuff like this to prevent 'greedy' corporations from trying to monopolize the technology and thus raping the consumer?

btw...that was the first Trailer I ever saw for a book...

1. It's a thriller, not a horror novel.

2. "...Ancestor is the rare thriller that's based on cutting-edge science and is entirely possible."Phil Plait, PhD, author of DEATH FROM THE SKIES and creator of BadAstronomy.com

3. It has nothing to do with monopolizing technology or raping consumers.

4. The possibility of curing disease needs to be balanced against the risk of creating a pack hunter predators set about the demise of the human race.

[Canada 02]

why do opponents have an issue with culturing cells from a 5 day old blastocyst (100-150 cell stage) created in a test tube, but there is no apparent opposition to culturing cells from adult tissues?

seems to be fear of something they do not understand

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I on the other hand would drink the blood of infants if it made me immortal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krazy_Kripples

Meanwhile, Christopher Reeve campaigns for stem cell research for the handicapped. By cracking open fetuses and sucking out their juices, he soon regains mobility, and even superpowers like the character he portrayed, Superman. He eventually takes on the role of a supervillain, and is opposed by his archnemesis, Gene Hackman (the actor who portrayed supervillain Lex Luthor, Superman's archnemesis, whom Reeve refers to as Hack Man). This causes one reporter to comment that "if irony were made of strawberries, we'd all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now." Reeve continues to use stem cells even after he is healed and becomes addicted to power, and eventually puts together a Legion of Doom made up of villains from the comic and South Park universes. (Professor Chaos tells General Disarray that they should "stay out of this one.", much like the boys did in the A-plot) At the end Hackman manages to get a law passed to end Reeve's "fetus-sucking days," and traps Reeve in the Phantom Zone.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Azure

Who is supposed to pay for it? Private organizations are going to invest their money if they can see some kind of benefit for it.

If it CAN help, it will almost certainly make a profit.

If we relied on just private funding to benefit our scientific progress we'd be truly stupid.

There is plenty of private and public science all over the world using stem cell research, so whether the US wants to be keeping up with the joneses so to speak is up to them.

The research is going on and will benefit from both private and public research.

[troutman]

This reminds me of Ronald Reagan Jr.'s speech to the Dem Convention:

http://www.grg.org/RReaganJr.htm

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Thor

If we relied on just private funding to benefit our scientific progress we'd be truly stupid.

There is plenty of private and public science all over the world using stem cell research, so whether the US wants to be keeping up with the joneses so to speak is up to them.

The research is going on and will benefit from both private and public research.

What the heck does this mean? Does government magically create wealth and appropriate it to the correct place?

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Azure

I don't think anyone has a problem with stem cell research. But the usage of embryonic stem cells is like you said controversial.

I support stem cell research. Still don't know if I support embryonic stem cell research though.

So throw away the embryonic stem cells instead of using them for some potential good?

Its not like we're setting up a factory of pregnant women tied into tubes ala Matrix and harvesting them endlessly for maniacal purposes.

But that would be a good movie.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by peter12

What the heck does this mean? Does government magically create wealth and appropriate it to the correct place?

If its the fed's - yes!

[valo403]

Originally Posted by peter12

What the heck does this mean? Does government magically create wealth and appropriate it to the correct place?

It means quite simply that without government funded research to get the ball rolling private industry is unlikely to take the initiative, and therefore advancement will be stifled.

[Phanuthier]

It's a little ironic that a grad student (especially in the Arts faculty) would be criticizing public sponsorship of research...

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

It's a little ironic that a grad student (especially in the Arts faculty) would be criticizing public sponsorship of research...

Only in the Canadian context. I don't have a lot of options here for good quality private institutions, not until my PhD at least.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by peter12

Only in the Canadian context. I don't have a lot of options here for good quality private institutions, not until my PhD at least.

Do as I say, not as I do.