Wesley J. Smith

Neuropathy is a disturbing nerve pain, associated with diabetes, for example, that is difficult to treat medically. But a new study, albeit a small one, shows marijuana helps alleviate this and other medical conditions. From the story:The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the . . . . Continue Reading »

In my now (finally!)  out new book, I have an admiring chapter on the work of Dr. Temple Grandin, whose insights have greatly improved methods of animal husbandry—including the slaughtering process.  Grandin is autistic, and she believes that  the wiring of her brain (if you . . . . Continue Reading »

This is political madness: Harry Reid and some other Democrats are trying to resurrect the public option and misuse the Senate reconciliation process to try and make policy, which is supposed to be against the rules.  From the story:Ahead of next week’s White House health reform summit, . . . . Continue Reading »

I just received my current (March 2010) First Things magazine in the mail. It is the 20th anniversary issue, and the entire magazine is devoted to excerpts and past articles. I was just browsing through the years, and this one really struck me, so I thought I’d share.It is by Molly Finn, whose . . . . Continue Reading »

Once again a story breaks indicating the tremendous value that can be derived from animal research.  It turns out that dolphins contract Type 2 diabetes, and that they have the capacity to turn it on and off at will.  From the story:Dolphins are the only animals apart from humans to . . . . Continue Reading »

My new book is still shipping to stores and has now been received by Amazon, but media campaigning, which has already commenced, is moving into a more intense period.  I won’t list every show because this blog is mostly about issues and ideas rather than me (although, it is a little about . . . . Continue Reading »

I have written before of the futile care case in Canada involving  “Baby Isaiah,” an infant who experienced a severe brain injury during a very long labor process. When the physicians sent a letter stating they would unilaterally cease life support, Isaiah’s . . . . Continue Reading »

I am in LA, near my old stomping grounds in the San Fernando Valley, where I just gave grand rounds at a Veteran’s medical facility to physicians, residents, and other medical staffers. We had a very good discussion about maintaining human intrinsic dignity as the fundamental purpose of . . . . Continue Reading »

So much for caring exclusively about alleviating the suffering of ill and disabled people. Geron’s head has admitted playing politics with the timing of its request to conduct the world’s first human embryonic stem cell trials on its ESC-based product to be tried on people with acute . . . . Continue Reading »

What word best describes NYT columnist Thomas Friedman: Fatuous? Yea, that works.In the face of the collapse of credibility for the global warming crisis hysteria—not the same thing as whether we are in a warming trend or whether humans have some impact on climate—Friedman assumes that . . . . Continue Reading »