Happy Thanksgiving to One and All

by Wesley J. Smith

Thanks to everyone who tunes into Secondhand Smoke. Have a wonderful . . . . Continue Reading »

23 Nov 2005 0

Euthanasia and Health Care Rationing in Europe

by Wesley J. Smith

This thoughtful commentary, published in the Brussels Journal, worries that Europeans, which have a form of health care rationing already in place to keep public health programs afloat, may turn to euthanasia as a form of controlling costs. Here is the key quote:“In Europe there are medical . . . . Continue Reading »

23 Nov 2005 0

More Good News About Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells

by Wesley J. Smith

I have reported here about how one paralyzed woman in South Korea gained some feeling and mobility using umbilical cord blood stem cells. One patient, of course, does not an efficacious treatment make. But this study adds substantially to the belief that UC stem cells are going to do marvelous . . . . Continue Reading »

22 Nov 2005 0

Embryonic Stem Cell Debate Now Primarily About Human Cloning

by Wesley J. Smith

Bioethicists Art Caplan and Glenn McGee push for full federal funding of human cloning research in this opinion column. As is usual for articles such as this, the bioethicists claim, “A clear majority of Americans favor embryonic stem cell research. Yet there are no meaningful federal funds . . . . Continue Reading »

22 Nov 2005 0

Bioethicists Promoting Reproductive Cloning

by Wesley J. Smith

I like Bio Edge, which scours the world for cutting edge biotech and bioethics stories, which are adeptly summarized and sent to subscribers via e-mail. The writers generally get things right, but this Bio Edge story is both behind the times and factually wrong. It states that bioethicists are . . . . Continue Reading »

22 Nov 2005 0

Saletan Likes Questions Better Than Answers

by Wesley J. Smith

I really like Will Saletan’s writing on biotechnology in Slate. I don’t always agree with him. Heck, I often don’t agree with him. But he has a healthy skepticism about the political debate we are having on cloning/stem cells, and he unleashes it without fear or favor, including . . . . Continue Reading »

20 Nov 2005 0

More Ugly Truths About Assisted Suicide

by Wesley J. Smith

A Swiss assisted suicide organization called Dignitas has helped a depressed woman kill herself in Germany. True, the woman presented a fake medical report, stating she was very ill. But the head of Dignitas said it didn’t matter since, “in any case every person in Europe has the right . . . . Continue Reading »

19 Nov 2005 0

Chimp Becomes Litigant: Granted Habeas Corpus

by Wesley J. Smith

I have been warning for some time now that the animal liberation movement seeks to change the law so that animals can be litigants in lawsuits. (What would really happen is the animal liberationists would be the litigants, with the animal as the unknowing “beard.”) Well it has happened . . . . Continue Reading »

16 Nov 2005 0

Another Adult Stem Cell Success—And It Makes the New York Times!

by Wesley J. Smith

Skin stem cells have been used to grow blood vessels. The good news just keeps on . . . . Continue Reading »

16 Nov 2005 0

Oh, hum: Another Adult Stem Cell Success

by Wesley J. Smith

A human heart attack patient’s own bone marrow stem cells appear to be an efficacious treatment that materially assists recovery. Good news that will not be reported with embryonic stem cells for years—if . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Nov 2005 0