left science/right science on….?

February 23rd, 2007

Posted by: admin

Getting back to an old friend in the scientized-politicized world, stem cells/embryo research. In a story on stem cells and embryonic research in NPR’s All Things Considered last night, UC San Francisco researcher Susan Fisher said, “Because the federal government has prohibited academic institutions from working on embryos, we really know almost nothing about human embryos in the beginning stages.”

The difference between a federal government prohibition on a certain type of academic research (which very obviously did not happen) and a removal of federal funding from a certain type of research on moral grounds (which did) is not subtle or nuanced, it’s quite clear, and it stretches my credulity to believe that Dr. Fisher doesn’t know the difference.

One Response to “left science/right science on….?”

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  1. Jim Clarke Says:

    Roger,

    I believe the explanation for this can be found about 3 topics ago, entitled ‘Catastrophic Visions’.

    In this case, the exaggerated threat is not terrorism or global warming, but the supposed attacks on science from the Bush Administration. The facts don’t really matter when you morally rationalize your crusade-de-jour!

    Thanks for calling a spade a spade, no matter which ’side’ is using it to dig themselves into a hole!