The Vatican has reportedly killed its planned upcoming stem cell conference. What’s the scoop? Last year the Vatican had an invitation only stem cell conference at which embryonic stem cell researchers, who are presumably going to Hell, and discussion of embryonic stem cell research were banned. I did a number of posts on this 2011 […]
Vatican in turmoil as it kills its upcoming stem cell conference Read More »
These days when we think of the words “scientific” and “sin”, we might conjure up an image of a stem cell scientist being called a sinner by extremist anti-stem cell activists. As you know, I think that is bogus. In this article that’s not the kind of scientific sin I’m talking about. Rather, I’m talking
Seven sins of scientists: starting with failure to cite Read More »
A lot of people are very upset at Pepsi for allegedly using stem cells in their research on artificial sweeteners. Why? What’s the real scoop here and what lessons can be learned from this more generally? I’ve been blogging as this controversy has evolved including posts such as Stem Cells in my Pepsi?, Stem cell myths: from
The truth about Pepsi & Stem Cells: larger lessons to be learned Read More »
Is trying to clone a woolly mammoth all just science hype? Hype is a bad thing and it hurts science in major ways. Hype channels resources away from valuable scientific pursuits and flushes them down the toilet. Hype makes people have unrealistic expectations so they end up disappointed by even very important science if it
Cloning the mammoth: more than science hype? Read More »
A month ago I did a very widely read piece on cosmetic applications of stem cell technologies in the U.S. called “from boobs to baldness”. Many cosmetics websites asked for permission to run the piece and it was re-run in a number of languages around the world as well. It is clear there is big
From boobs to baldness 2.0: Cosmetic stem cell clinics proliferate Read More »
We have another Vatican stem cell meeting coming up this spring. This meeting raises some extremely important questions and complex issues at the interface of science, religion, philosophy and ethics. From the perspective of scientists, an important issue is whether (assuming one is invited) to attend such a meeting and if one does attend, is
Vatican Stem Cell Meeting 2.0: from stem cells to prison cells to hell? Read More »
There is a bill being considered here in the U.S. called the “Research Works Act”. This is without a doubt one of the dumbest bills I have ever heard of in my life. The bill is bad for science and bad for America. If passed it would be an epic fail for America. Why? This
The Research Works Act Would Be An Epic Fail Read More »
I’ve now been blogging about stem cells here on The Niche for nearly 2 years, but why do I keep doing it? I’m by no means the only one who blogs about stem cells, but it is just that professors still are reluctant in the stem cell field to blog. Two outstanding blogs that tied
Why I am still blogging here on The Niche Read More »
They say politics makes strange bedfellows….remember the Witherspoon Council? These are the fellows who are the BFFs of the two scientists suing to stop federal funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. They also wrote a large, very stodgy tome about stem cell research, in which they mentioned me and this blog…kinda implying we
Witherspoon Council, Komen, and Fox News Read More »
Lately I have been critical of an ultra-conservative political think tank-like foundation called the Witherspoon Institute. They have recently joined the federal lawsuit as friends of the plaintiffs suing to stop federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. The Witherspoon Council has just published a 100+ page report on stem cells in the very conservative, somewhat obscure
A critique of the Witherspoon Institute stem cell report Read More »