THIS PDF IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING IMPO
Hello LiveJournal! ^_^
What I am doing right now is staring at a pretty PDF I saved from the Uni website! I couldn't make sense of what it was auto-saving as, so I renamed it as StemCellResearchPDF.pdf, which makes me laugh every single time I look at it, so I wanted you to laugh, too.
It is discussing The Code of Practice for the Generation and Use of Human Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models.
That makes me think of the Monty Python quote "It's only a model!"
So it's not actually about stem cells, but about their models.
I had previously heard about people trying to generate new life from this in vitro fertilisation method when I was in high school, maybe from my Chemistry class which I had taken in tenth grade (ages 15->16 I think which is about half my lifetime ago by now), but what I have heard thus far is disjunct and really much too confusing to make any sense of, IMPO. I only remember squinting at some cells through a microscope once a few years ago when my mother had driven me to a lab in Philadelphia to squint at them knowledgeably for about twenty minutes, then retreat home to treat a headache.
Once I understand how generating cell-based embryo models might be useful for humans, though, I think that it will be easy to transfer this skill to dying-out wildlife, as well! ^_^ That is what I had been told by my colleagues who requested better depictions from me, a project which is coming along slowly enough.
Right now I don't strictly understand what is going on, though, and my mother, who was really super-excited about this kind of thing, especially for the plants which were also already dying out in the crumbling atmospheric conditions (most of the ones in my front yard are already gone now! T_T The back yard has all the more tenacious greenery that is better at taking strange weather patterns rather than the showy stuff in the front that can't handle it), exited stage left without another word which makes it a bit more awkward for everybody. I mean, we did get to watch the Queen's Funeral together, but that may have been the last lucid moment we had together - I suspect my mother had been prescribed a great deal of medicine towards the end that was not very helpful mentally. Then again, who am I to question lucidity? I have my own moments and I apologise to all of you if I make you uncomfortable with my behaviour.
AFAIK this document just seems to be a set of rules for what people are allowed to do and not do around micro-organisms, and since I'm not technically in the UK at the moment I might be able to disregard it at will. However, I've probably got to be careful for when I do go visiting the UK in reality since it describes, "The HFE Act stipulates that human embryos in vitro may only be studied up to 14 days of development or the appearance of the primitive streak, whichever comes first, 8 and may only be used in research for specified purposes."
I wonder where it says what the HFE Act is... *goes and gets tea to research where it says that* NVM that was fast: "Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990 (as amended) (hereafter the HFE Act)" ^_^
Yikes, am I looking into embrology now?? DO I HAVE THE RIGHT TAG FOR THAT? Would that count as "fam'bly"? Should I f-lock this entry?
Meanwhile, since my father is trying to repair his bicycle outside, I will use the bicycling tag, since it's about the same. I will also find the theme. There are many options on Youtube for this. It is fun.
Why I should f-lock: so I don't get in trouble.
Why would I get in trouble? I am researching the rules that are being decreed in another country. There is no way that I would be able to get into trouble for curiosity about what the rules are somewhere else.
IDK what the rules are for the US.
After the music stopped, I googled, "Embryonic stem cell research is not illegal. Federal funding is prohibited if it involves creating or destroying embryos."
Ergo, as long as I'm not asking for money about it, in my country, I am permitted to research this topic.
I remember my mother particularly pushing me this way for some reason. I think she liked my high SAT/GRE scores.