The Roots of the Stem
Been a while since an update, but the most important woman I know *cough*theredsqrl*cough* told me I need an update, so here we go.
We all love medical research. We all love finding how the human body works and how to make it work better. We love curing disease, even if new diseases keep cropping up. We love being able to live longer, even if we have no idea what to do on a lonely Sunday afternoon. We love it even more when medical science gets right into the realm of science fiction. We love thinking that one thing will solve a major disease or three. We love the idea that somehow, someway one technique will solve multiple medical problems. Oh sure, it happens with penicillin, antibiotics and clean surgical procedures, we think it will happen with stem cell research.
Stem cell researach is one of those issues that people love as an issue. People love talking about it because it promises great hope for Alzheimers, Parkinsons, diabetes and paralysis. And given the numbers, at least one person in everyone's family has at least one of those. Everyone has a stake in this and everyone wants it to work. Okay, they don't. The point is, a lot of people get very interested in this subject.
Here's the thing. People like talking about stem cell research because people like talking about the controversy of it all. There is no ban on stem cell research in the United States. Let me say that again THERE IS NO BAN ON STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THE US. There is a ban on stem cell research being federally funded. Yes, if you are willling to forgo federal funding for medical research, you can use stem cell research. Also, using stem cells in research does not require the destruction of an embryo. Stem cells are in umbilical cords. Umbilical cords which are tossed out and destroyed as medicala waster by the millions can be used for this research. There is currently no way to donate little Starbuck's umbilical cord to science for research. Also, the current stem cell lines, as living groups of these cells are called, can be used in research. These will, through the magic of mitosis, reproduce themselves. But, a person who has these can do the research, so long as they don't want government money.
Then again, government influence on medical research has histrocial been dicey. And that's not the worst of the lot. And there are many more examples in history that I'm too tired to look up. When the government starts directing medical research, you get trouble. After all, Dr. Salk did his best work without government funding. Dr. Fleming didn't need government funding when he discovered Penicillin. Or Dr. Jenner. There are lots of others who did not use federal funding, of any country, to get done what had to be done. True innovation cannot be held to a government timeline. True innovation needs to play by its own rules, so long as it doesn't break the rules of morality.
For that, it does need government help.
So it is written, so do I see it.
We all love medical research. We all love finding how the human body works and how to make it work better. We love curing disease, even if new diseases keep cropping up. We love being able to live longer, even if we have no idea what to do on a lonely Sunday afternoon. We love it even more when medical science gets right into the realm of science fiction. We love thinking that one thing will solve a major disease or three. We love the idea that somehow, someway one technique will solve multiple medical problems. Oh sure, it happens with penicillin, antibiotics and clean surgical procedures, we think it will happen with stem cell research.
Stem cell researach is one of those issues that people love as an issue. People love talking about it because it promises great hope for Alzheimers, Parkinsons, diabetes and paralysis. And given the numbers, at least one person in everyone's family has at least one of those. Everyone has a stake in this and everyone wants it to work. Okay, they don't. The point is, a lot of people get very interested in this subject.
Here's the thing. People like talking about stem cell research because people like talking about the controversy of it all. There is no ban on stem cell research in the United States. Let me say that again THERE IS NO BAN ON STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THE US. There is a ban on stem cell research being federally funded. Yes, if you are willling to forgo federal funding for medical research, you can use stem cell research. Also, using stem cells in research does not require the destruction of an embryo. Stem cells are in umbilical cords. Umbilical cords which are tossed out and destroyed as medicala waster by the millions can be used for this research. There is currently no way to donate little Starbuck's umbilical cord to science for research. Also, the current stem cell lines, as living groups of these cells are called, can be used in research. These will, through the magic of mitosis, reproduce themselves. But, a person who has these can do the research, so long as they don't want government money.
Then again, government influence on medical research has histrocial been dicey. And that's not the worst of the lot. And there are many more examples in history that I'm too tired to look up. When the government starts directing medical research, you get trouble. After all, Dr. Salk did his best work without government funding. Dr. Fleming didn't need government funding when he discovered Penicillin. Or Dr. Jenner. There are lots of others who did not use federal funding, of any country, to get done what had to be done. True innovation cannot be held to a government timeline. True innovation needs to play by its own rules, so long as it doesn't break the rules of morality.
For that, it does need government help.
So it is written, so do I see it.