Op-Ed on Stem Cell Science and Policy
August 2nd, 2004Posted by: Roger Pielke, Jr.
I had an op-ed in Saturday’s Rocky Mountain News in which I try to make sense of the current debate over stem cells. It starts out like this:
“If you want to liven up conversation at a dinner party, ask the following question: How much money would you take for your pinkie toe?”
Read the whole thing here. Your comments are welcomed.
August 2nd, 2004 at 4:37 pm
Roger, the distinction between stalwarts and dealers misses (part of) the point. Bush is clearly a dealer, too, in that he decided to allow research to go forward on a limited number of existing lines. That is to say, he engaged in a negotiation (with himself, or others) to reach a compromise between different positions before deciding to allow resaerch on existing lines. The real point is that some ‘dealers’ take philosophic or religious perspectives into account, rather than simply rejecting them as “unscientific.” Which they certainly are… which is precisely the point.
Of course, those that fancy themselves as having purely scientific/economic views on these matters also have one or another philosophic point of view that underlies their claims, which they are not acknowledging…