Wesley J. Smith

Last week, I blogged on Ian Wilmut’s proposal to conduct embryonic stem cell research on people dying of ALS and perhaps, other neurological diseases. (Wilmut cloned Dolly the sheep and is now the head of a university regenerative medical institute.) He hopes to gain the approval of UK . . . . Continue Reading »

This intriguing article was written by Jean Swenson, a woman paralyzed by a spinal cord injury. She has noticed that the better and more immediate hope for her condition seems to be adult stem cells, as opposed to ES cell research or therapeutic cloning. This is good news. Disease advocacy groups . . . . Continue Reading »

I predicted earlier that the mainstream media would report the facts of the Hwang cloning fraud scandal, but downplay or spin away its core significance. Yesterday, I quoted some Time magazine spin that tried to hold Hwang responsible for the fraud, but not really blame him. But the worst example of . . . . Continue Reading »

Time magazine, byline Michael D. Lemonick, has published a pretty good description of the fall of the House of Hwang. But when it gets into the import of the scandal, the reporter inexplicably enters the cloning spin zone. Lemonick speculates that despite there being no evidence that Hwang actually . . . . Continue Reading »

This analysis by Independent (UK) columnist Mary Dejevsky, is spot on. Her thesis: The time has come to reassess whether embryonic stem cell research is as hopeful as has been hyped, er stated. Too bad we are unlikely to see anything like it published in the New York Times. She also gets into the . . . . Continue Reading »

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack apparently has a problem: He is a Democrat who wants to run for president. But, he signed a bill banning all human cloning in Iowa three years ago. Vilsack apparently thinks that supporting a cloning ban would, shall we say, hinder his chances of gaining the nomination. So . . . . Continue Reading »

To avoid criminal charges the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey has permitted itself to be taken over by a federal monitor. Apparently double billing, Medicare fraud, and other irregularities. The deal apparently is in lieu of criminal prosecution. But if there is massive financial . . . . Continue Reading »

Human cloning advocates and their media allies are steeped in regret over the “years” that Hwang has allegedly cost cloning science. This piece in the Observer is well written and a prime example of this line of thinking. (And the description of therapeutic cloning is pretty accurate!) . . . . Continue Reading »

Here we are in the midst of a crucial democratic debate about the future of biotechnology and human cloning. For people to have truly informed opinions, the information they receive from the media must be accurate. Yet, whether through ignorance or bias, reporters for the New York Times seem never . . . . Continue Reading »

To all of those who stop by Secondhand Smoke, whether you agree with my views or not, I wish you health, happiness, and prosperity in the new year. Thank you all for your . . . . Continue Reading »