Wesley J. Smith

“Embryonic Stem Cells Can Repair Eyes,” is the headline. But the Reuters story, byline Maggie Fox, about an experiment announced by Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), doesn’t actually demonstrate this. From the story:Writing in the journal Nature Methods, [Robert]Lanza’s team . . . . Continue Reading »

As readers of SHS know, I believe that human exceptionalism is under profound assault from many different directions, including utilitarian bioethics, animal liberation, and philosophical materialism. But also, some in the environmental movement have turned the conservation ideal on its head, . . . . Continue Reading »

The American Physiological Society, founded in 1887, which describes itself as “a nonprofit devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences,” has awarded my friend David Prentice its 2007 Walter C. Randall Award in . . . . Continue Reading »

I have mentioned before that scientists with heterodox views in the areas of cloning/ESCR (as well as in other contentious areas beyond the subjects dealt with here at SHS) are bullied, attacked, ridiculed, threatened with loss of job, or if tenured, forced to teach “punishment” classes, . . . . Continue Reading »

This story demonstrates the great potential of biotechnology, but being a congenital party pooper, I am also compelled to use it as a nagging moment. From the story:Scientists have discovered a strand of DNA that dramatically raises the risk of coronary heart disease and doubles the chances of . . . . Continue Reading »

The new eugenics forges ahead with a new “home” test soon to be available to determine an embryo’s gender at 6 weeks development. (Ultrasound permits gender identification at about 20 weeks.) Why the need to know the sex—this isn’t about disease—so early? I can . . . . Continue Reading »

The NHS in the UK uses a committee of bioethicists and others to advise it about ethical policies, known as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, a.k.a., NICE. Well NICE isn’t. In my view, it is dominated by utilitarian ideology that denies the intrinsic value of human . . . . Continue Reading »

My sources tell me that the following states require life-sustaining treatment to continue pending transfer if a hospital determines that the desired treatment is “futile” or “inappropriate,” or “non-beneficial: Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, . . . . Continue Reading »

I consider the Texas fight over Futile Care Theory to be one of the most important bioethical matters of the year. This is why I was so profoundly disappointed when the Texas Catholic Bishops and the Texas Catholic Conference supported a modified version of futile care, and opposed the legislation . . . . Continue Reading »

Adult stem cell research continues apace. This PR press release touts an Australian company’s gaining FDA approval to conduct human experiments in treating heart disease with adult stem cells. It’s a “Phase 2 Trial,” meaning it tests efficacy as well as safety. From the . . . . Continue Reading »