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ACT Misses Out on the $—For Now

Advanced Cell Technology is always on the lookout for opportunities to garner money, either from private investors (sometimes after hyped stories of its research “successes” somehow “make it” into the papers), or from government grants. ACT’s most recent escapade . . . . Continue Reading »

Biotech Casualty

A gene therapy subject in an early human trial to treat arthritis has died, causing the experiment to be halted. Very sad. But such are the risks in human trials, which sometimes puts people in potential peril in the effort to get cutting edge medical treatments to clinical use. (There are, of . . . . Continue Reading »

"Medical Marijuana" Political Follies

The House of Representatives has voted down an amendment that would have prohibited the DEA from enforcing federal drug laws against medical marijuana participants in states where cannabis as medicine is legal. And the bill only got two more votes than the last time the House considered it before . . . . Continue Reading »

Can Human "Non Persons" be Molested?

Personhood theorists claim that one who becomes permanently unconscious has lost personhood. Some even claim that such people are “dead.” In any event, personhood theorists hold that a permanently unconscious human being is of materially less moral value than persons (perhaps including . . . . Continue Reading »

Interfering with Natural Selection

This charming story about Jessica the Hippo is a bit disturbing. Jessica was saved from death by human intervention—we are the only species that do this constantly for species other than our own. And the game warden’s saving her life at the age of one day, represents our unique capacity . . . . Continue Reading »

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