Wesley J. Smith

I reported earlier today that scientists have concluded that we did not evolve from apes.  In response, a source sent me a book review that appeared in the New Scientists I had missed.  It turns out that our apparent genetic closeness does not mean that we are that closely related to . . . . Continue Reading »

Human exceptionalism received a boost today with the news that human beings apparently did not evolve from apes.  From the story:The skeleton of an early human who lived 4.4 million years ago shows that humans did not evolve from chimpanzee-like ancestors, researchers reported on Thursday. . . . . Continue Reading »

A great shell game is being played by supporters of Obamacare.  Abortion isn’t “in the bill,” they loudly proclaim, and “illegal aliens aren’t covered.”  Yet, as they loudly decry those worried about such matter as “lying about the . . . . Continue Reading »

It is one disaster after the next for the UK’s NHS. Now, computer problems are hitting people where they hurt. Literally. From the story:Thousands of people are being forced to wait six months or more for hospital treatment or tests because of problems with the £12.7 billion project to . . . . Continue Reading »

The bioethical and transplant communities continually agitate to increase the number of donated organs by loosening standards of declaring death. Now Nature has added its hefty editorial voice to the call, even claiming that doctors today cut corners and falsely declare brain death. If that is . . . . Continue Reading »

Oh, oh: Here they come.  Nature is one of the top science journals in the world.  What is published within its pages matter.  And now, it has editorialized to loosen standards of declaring brain death so that more organs can be harvested.  From the editorial:The law seems . . . . Continue Reading »

This is good news.  The pure public option was swamped 15-8, with five Democrats voting no. A non profit system had a closer vote. From the story:The Senate Finance Committee gaveled a nail in the coffin of government-run health insurance, with moderate Senate Democrats casting the deciding . . . . Continue Reading »

I am still mulling whether to get an H1N1 shot, which is solely in my discretion as it should be.Not so New York State health care workers.  They have been ordered to get the inoculation or lose their jobs—and it is causing a revolt.  From the story:New York is the first state in the . . . . Continue Reading »

I am never quite sure what to make of columns like this:  Joan Wickersham’s father committed suicide years ago, and his death clearly still cuts deep.  What to do? She writes in the Boston Globe that we need to “talk.” From the column:Suicide is so disturbing that most of . . . . Continue Reading »

Whenever we have discussed national health care here, I warned that proponents would try to take things too far at too great a cost, and that their desire to cover abortion could kill the bill.  That very scenario is playing out. Amendments in the House Committees to explicitly bar abortion . . . . Continue Reading »