Wesley J. Smith

This argument wouldn’t have to be made, but for science becoming post modern in some circles so that narrative counts more than facts. This has certainly been true with regard to biotechnology because some want to use human embryos instrumentally. But rather than just admit that and justify it . . . . Continue Reading »

The use of the “V-word” continues to be used in the most “enlightened” places. Today, it is an interview with health author Jane Brody in the NYT about her new book on planning for death. From the interview:Q: When is the right time to start planning for death?A: Start . . . . Continue Reading »

As someone once accused by bioethicist Alta Charo of promoting an “Endarkenment” because of my views on ESCR—at least she did it to my face—I have to say that a recent Science editorial extolling President Obama’s stem cell speech, demonstrates the very unenlightened . . . . Continue Reading »

This was gratuitously harmful politically to the president, and it reflects a thoughtlessness, I think, that belies his image as a sensitive egalitarian. President Obama has compared his poor bowling skills to the Special Olympics. From the story: Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute . . . . Continue Reading »

I have a piece in today’s Sacramento Bee rounding out my critique of the Obama ESCR policy and his rescission of the Bush executive order requiring the Feds to fund alternative sources. The new policy no longer provides funding of pluripotent stem cells that have the potential to bridge the . . . . Continue Reading »

How can anyone trust anything written today about science? In an earlier SHS post, I touched on how a pair of new studies—we were told by the Washington Post—demonstrated that routine prostate screening for cancer isn’t worth doing. The point of that post was not so much to focus . . . . Continue Reading »

I never cease to be amazed at the sense of superiority that drips from the pores of some people who work in the sciences. I find this quite irritating, which was brought to a head for me this morning when I read a story about prostate cancer screening.For years, we have been told repeatedly and . . . . Continue Reading »

The NHS disarray continues. In the scheme of things—with people in the UK unable to get good pain control and hospitals having receptionists examine patients—this is small. But it is symbolic of what happens in socialized systems. From the story:The Health Service has paid out more than . . . . Continue Reading »

I have a piece in today’s Sacramento Bee rounding out my critique of the Obama ESCR policy and his rescission of the Bush executive order requiring the Feds to fund alternative sources for funding of pluripotent stem cells. Some of this will be familiar to SHSers, but I think the points I make . . . . Continue Reading »

I wasn’t going to run with this because bioethicist Jacob M. Appel seems to be following the same business model to career success as Julian Savulescu and others: stake out the most wild and radical positions conceivable and you are sure to get attention—and perhaps big speaking . . . . Continue Reading »