Wesley J. Smith

I recently wrote about a July 6 report authored by David Matas and David Kilgour, two Canadian human rights lawyers, that accused China of harvesting the organs of Falun Gong practitioners. Back in April, the U.S. State Department issued a letter, not specifically in response to the report, stating . . . . Continue Reading »

This research is potentially exciting, but is still very early. Japanese researchers have apparently reverted mouse adult cells into an embryonic state. The research is one area of “alternative methods” that offer a way to heal the current breach (as some see it) between ethics and . . . . Continue Reading »

Sometimes the right hand of the media doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. So, while news side often regurgitates the mantra that ESCR offers the best chance for cures, every once in a while the business side of the media reflects the reality on the ground that adult stem cells are far . . . . Continue Reading »

When a minority of the House of Representatives blocked a Senate bill that passed 100-0, authored by pro ESCR Senator Arlen Specter and anti ESCR Rick Santorum, which would have funded research into “alternative sources” of obtaining pluripotent stem cells, they voted against science and . . . . Continue Reading »

A UCLA neurobiologist was subjected to such intense harassment and terrorization, that he has told the Animal Liberation Front, “You win,” and agreed to stop doing any research with monkeys. This is a terrible victory for terrorism. If we don’t work harder to protect our scientists . . . . Continue Reading »

Does China kill the persecuted Falun Gong and sell their organs? A disturbingly credible report issued by human rights lawyer David Matas and Canadian MP, David Kilgour paint a horrific picture that indeed, China kills Falun Gong and sells their organs. Chinese authorities didn’t cooperate . . . . Continue Reading »

Readers of Secondhand Smoke know how adamantly opposed I am to futile care theory. Texas, as the moment, is the prime offender. The law permits hospital ethics committees to order the refusal of wanted life-sustaining treatment, at which point, the patient and family have a mere ten days to find . . . . Continue Reading »

Every medical treatment has some risk associated with it, even those which are clearly established and undoubtedly efficacious. This includes adult/umbilical cord blood therapies, such as using bone marrow to treat leukemia. Case in point: World famous musher Susan Butcher died recently of . . . . Continue Reading »

There is a terrible story (how often I have to write those words!) in the Daily Mail (UK) about women getting beauty treatments from fetal stem cells derived from abortions, with the allegation that poor women in the Ukraine are being paid $200 US to get pregnant and abort at 12 weeks for this . . . . Continue Reading »

There are two great evils against which our generation has been called upon to contest. The first is the threat of Islamo-fascist terrorism, a struggle that has grown increasingly intense since the atrocity of September 11. The second is an issue of law, ethics, and morality, and is nothing less . . . . Continue Reading »