Stem Cell Usage

[Msterbeau]

You didn't really think they were only going to use this technology for medical necessities did ya?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6354451.stm

[Homicidalheathen]

Now if they could just do the same to enlarge a penis, I would be happy.

[sass_in_the_pants]

BWAHAHA!

You know, if those stem cell people would stop hawking their research as something that would save lives, and start working the 'it'll make bigger tatas' angle, I'm sure they would find a lot less opposition.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Have you ever really thought... you know... along the logical probability curve this science presents... somewhere along it... after we get a really good understanding of how it works... coupled with further understanding of the human DNA sequance... and along comes a quantum computer to help with that... and wham. Taylor made you. it wont matter what physical and mental traits you are born with... change anything you dont like into something you do like.

it's all rather cool in a paper back sci-fi novel "but what about our humanity" kinda way.

[sass_in_the_pants]

Have you ever really thought... you know... along the logical probability curve this science presents... somewhere along it... after we get a really good understanding of how it works... coupled with further understanding of the human DNA sequance... and along comes a quantum computer to help with that... and wham. Taylor made you. it wont matter what physical and mental traits you are born with... change anything you dont like into something you do like.

it's all rather cool in a paper back sci-fi novel "but what about our humanity" kinda way.

Actually, that's part of the reason the religious right is opposed to stem cell research. They fear that one day, you will be able to 'build' your children, rather than create them. Rather than respecting a life for what it is, many fear that we will simply 'design' our children. That could never happen, at least not in such a black and white way, genetics don't work like that, but certainly that is a one of the concerns.

[BrassFusion]

Actually, that's part of the reason the religious right is opposed to stem cell research. They fear that one day, you will be able to 'build' your children, rather than create them. Rather than respecting a life for what it is, many fear that we will simply 'design' our children. That could never happen, at least not in such a black and white way, genetics don't work like that, but certainly that is a one of the concerns.

If the religious right are so desperate to stop technology they should find a way to set off a nuclear or viral chain reaction that would wipe out humanity. I can't see anything else working, long-term.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

The right isn't against stem cell research.. only fetal stem cell research. The part that people seem to gloss over... Bush did in fact limit Federal funds for fetal stem cell research.. but he is the only president that has EVER given ANY funds to stem cell research. Stem cell research started in the 90's.... cant remember which year.. around 95 I beleive was when the first news storys about it started to break. Clinton had 4 or 5 years to fund it... never did. At all. One of President Bush's first acts as President was to fund Stem cell research with the clause that no Federal funds were to be used to Fetal stem cell research... Noone on the left likes to admit that part...

BTW...

We can already choose what sex a baby will be born... we can detect some major birth defects in the first trimester... a completly designer baby is not really that far fetched.

[BrassFusion]

The right isn't against stem cell research.. only fetal stem cell research. The part that people seem to gloss over... Bush did in fact limit Federal funds for fetal stem cell research.. but he is the only president that has EVER given ANY funds to stem cell research. Stem cell research started in the 90's.... cant remember which year.. around 95 I beleive was when the first news storys about it started to break. Clinton had 4 or 5 years to fund it... never did. At all. One of President Bush's first acts as President was to fund Stem cell research with the clause that no Federal funds were to be used to Fetal stem cell research... Noone on the left likes to admit that part...

BTW...

We can already choose what sex a baby will be born... we can detect some major birth defects in the first trimester... a completly designer baby is not really that far fetched.

uh... i don't remember stem cell research coming up in conversation much before the bush administration. was bill supposed to just jump up off the toilet and say "OGM! I'm going to put myself on the chopping block and polarize the nation to fund research on this new controversial thing that no one knows about yet!"

blaming an entire political party and its constituents for not funding stem cell research right out the gate... that's like saying that republicans in the 60's were more supportive of civil rights because nixon desegregated schools. you can manipulate the facts all you want, but why brew it down to such subjective conclusions all the time?

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

The schools and labs were still screaming for federal funding and could not get it. Hell, it was brought up in the election between Gore and Bush. Bush gave them funding, with conditions... the conditions are what brought it more to the front page rather than the science section. I do give the President full credit for funding Stem Cell research... He did it with a Presidential order on his terms because everytime it went before congress in the 5 or 6 years, before it got tabled.

um... You might want to do a bit of fact checking before you post... the Democratic party opposed desegragation with all of thier political might. To the point that one Democratic Govenor called in his National guard to stand outside "white" schools so that black children could not get in. Brown vs. Board of Education was in 1956... The Civil Rights acts was in 64 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was in 65. Then various court cases of the next 4 years. The interesting bit, and the part that modern democrats like to gloss over... is that it was the southern Democrats that were fighting against Civil Rights and Desegragation and it was the Republicans that were fighting for them. They fillibustered the Civil Rights Act from being voted on for 83 days... Not all of the Democrats were against it... I really see it as a bi-partisen event in history... but it was the Democrats that fought so hard against it. BTW.. my point is.. Nixon had shit all to do with it. and um.. you are wrong.

[sass_in_the_pants]

The right isn't against stem cell research.. only fetal stem cell research. The part that people seem to gloss over... Bush did in fact limit Federal funds for fetal stem cell research.. but he is the only president that has EVER given ANY funds to stem cell research. Stem cell research started in the 90's.... cant remember which year.. around 95 I beleive was when the first news storys about it started to break. Clinton had 4 or 5 years to fund it... never did. At all. One of President Bush's first acts as President was to fund Stem cell research with the clause that no Federal funds were to be used to Fetal stem cell research... Noone on the left likes to admit that part...

BTW...

We can already choose what sex a baby will be born... we can detect some major birth defects in the first trimester... a completly designer baby is not really that far fetched.

There are approximately 30,000 genes, but once it's all said and done there will be closer to 20,000 (this is according to Eric Lander). Of those 30,000, we know the function roughly of about 3,000. Research elucidating the function of these genes is being cut, as with most basic research. This fact, coupled with the facts that genes are not always transcribed identically, and post-transcriptional gene modifications can vary, so we really have very little idea how to alter gene effects at the present time. Not to mention the epigenetic effects. So, we're a long ways away from being able to manipulate genes to that extent. It might happen far, far, far in the future, but by then we'll all be long dead and gone. I still haven't gotten my promised flying car so I'm not holding my breath for designer babies.

And I should have clarified in my original post - yes, the right opposes fetal stem cell research, not other kinds.

[BrassFusion]

The schools and labs were still screaming for federal funding and could not get it. Hell, it was brought up in the election between Gore and Bush. Bush gave them funding, with conditions... the conditions are what brought it more to the front page rather than the science section. I do give the President full credit for funding Stem Cell research... He did it with a Presidential order on his terms because everytime it went before congress in the 5 or 6 years, before it got tabled.

um... You might want to do a bit of fact checking before you post... the Democratic party opposed desegragation with all of thier political might. To the point that one Democratic Govenor called in his National guard to stand outside "white" schools so that black children could not get in. Brown vs. Board of Education was in 1956... The Civil Rights acts was in 64 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was in 65. Then various court cases of the next 4 years. The interesting bit, and the part that modern democrats like to gloss over... is that it was the southern Democrats that were fighting against Civil Rights and Desegragation and it was the Republicans that were fighting for them. They fillibustered the Civil Rights Act from being voted on for 83 days... Not all of the Democrats were against it... I really see it as a bi-partisen event in history... but it was the Democrats that fought so hard against it. BTW.. my point is.. Nixon had shit all to do with it. and um.. you are wrong.

i DID say that nixon was responsible. he pissed off a lot of people by doing what he did- republicans included.

but all that is irrelevant because you're still doing it. you're trying to say that democrats are- well, insert any negative adjective here- by any justification at all. you do it all the time and i have no idea why.

[Scary Guy]

Evolve and upgrade or die and decay. It's my motto.

If intelligent design is actually a valid theory then he had to know we'd be little mini demigods eventually. Personally I can't wait for 2525 to roll around. Hopefully I'll still be around to see it but I doubt it.