Wesley J. Smith

The Oregon Department of Human Services has issued its ninth, virtually meaningless report on assisted suicide. I say virtually meaningless because it’s statistical analysis depends almost entirely on death doctor self-reporting. Little noted in the media, which regurgitates these statistics . . . . Continue Reading »

In mice, Israeli scientists have apparently created a “miniature heart” using embryonic stem cells. If the story is right, the stem cells were morphed into the building blocks of heart cells, after which the scientists “found a way of persuading the different types of cell which . . . . Continue Reading »

Humanlife Matters, Mark Pickup’s blog, is back after experiencing technical difficulties. Today, Mark riffs on how the culture of death is really discrmination against the weakest and most vulnerable among . . . . Continue Reading »

This is the proper response to the legalization of assisted suicide: complete non participation by medical professionals at every level of care. Zurich University Hospital does not permit assisted suicides on premises. That is the honorable approach.If A.B. 374 passes in California, hospitals like . . . . Continue Reading »

This is so ridiculous. Ethical guidelines are being drafted to protect humans from robot abuse and robots from human abuse. First, robots are inanimate objects. I don’t care how sophisticated or “intelligent” they become, they could no more be abused than my vacuum cleaner or the . . . . Continue Reading »

Missouri’s universities will not have a life sciences building project funded due to the potential that the buildings would be used to conduct human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. While the media rails against cloning opponents, the real fault lies with the authors of Amendment 2. . . . . Continue Reading »

I often describe the blatant biased reporting about the ESCR debate. But much of the problem isn’t bias—it is ignorance. Say a general beat reporter is directed by his or her editor to do a stem cell story. He or she calls scientists—who may or may not mislead the . . . . Continue Reading »

Yes, we have a shortage of transplantable organs. But that does not in the least excuse this legislation in South Carolina to give reduced sentences to prisoners in return for agreeing to be an organ or bone marrow donor. No, I am not joking. There is a terrible history in this country of using . . . . Continue Reading »

Scientists are using bluegill fish to screen water for toxins and are developing methods by which bees and cockroaches will help with airline security. As I often say, never under estimate the imagination and abilities of scientists. Just don’t tell PETA. It thinks fish should not be kept in . . . . Continue Reading »

There is so much going on in the fields of adult/umbilical cord blood stem cell research, that I can’t possibly post it all here at Secondhand Smoke, much less read it all. Happily, these advances are collected by the inestimable Richard Doerflinger, and published on a periodic basis by Do No . . . . Continue Reading »