We have yet to ensure equal rights for humans, some demand “rights” for animals, and now we have a group dedicated to ensuring equal rights for robots—when they exist, that is. What rights would those be? After all, robots would not be alive:Existence, Independence, and the Pursuit . . . . Continue Reading »
This story is really a tragic tale of how rejecting human exceptionalism leads to the deaths of those deemed inferior—in this case girls—mostly in Asia. According to the United Nations, 60 million female fetuses or baby girls are “missing”—meaning they were killed via . . . . Continue Reading »
Well, lo and behold: Just as a study was released showing that neural stem cells may be efficacious in treating Parkinson’s, another report shows that a drug used for high blood pressure may also provide relief. From the Scientific American story:A team at Northwestern University’s . . . . Continue Reading »
I hope this is as big a deal as it seems. Adult neural stem cells taken from cadaver fetuses—remember adult stem cells is a popular term—have dramatically reduced the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. From . . . . Continue Reading »
I grow weary: Science journalists should report science matters accurately, without spin and the usual hype seen in the ESCR/human cloning debates. Alas, we don’t see much of that in this report, byline Dave Mosher of LiveScience. The story is about Ian Wilmut, the veterinarian who supervised . . . . Continue Reading »
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Sharma, a British Columbian physician, pled guilty to attempting to assisted the suicide of a 92-year-old nursing home resident. The woman survived. Although he was not jailed, has been stripped of his license to practice medicine and subjected to other restrictions during his . . . . Continue Reading »
According to this report, scientists have stored data in living neurons for the first time, opening the potentiality for “cyborg computer chips.” From the story:Many believe that complex patterns of neuronal firing are templates for memory, which the brain uses when storing information. . . . . Continue Reading »
This is an interesting radio interview (NPR: Diane Rehm) about the current stem cell controversies. It is worth a listen. The guests areRick Weiss, science reporter for “The Washington Post” Dr. John Gearhart, professor of medicine and director of the stem cell program at Johns Hopkins . . . . Continue Reading »
Human cloning researchers are again whining that their important work is being held back by a lack of human eggs. This time, it is researchers from Harvard, as reported a few days ago in the Boston Globe. From the story:A year after Harvard University scientists began trying to create cloned human . . . . Continue Reading »
Can money buy happiness? Some social scientists in the UK took a look. And they discovered that the primary factors that make for a happy life aren’t money, but strong social connections.The researchers created a “life satisfaction scale,” that ranged from one (miserable) to seven . . . . Continue Reading »
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