Stem Cells: A Pragmatic View
On 7 June 2007, Nature, the world's foremost scientific journal, reported the possibility of extracting embryonic stem cells from adult skill cells according to experiments involving mouse cells.
This made me sit up and think about the intense Stem Cells Debate that has been going on for a while... Why are there so many arguments on controversial morality issues but so little on practical issues?
Here's my take on why scientists involved in embryonic stem cell research should switch to other viable alternatives from a pragmatic view:
More scientists: It's a fact that scientists who are pro-life will not participate in embryonic stem cell research - so why don't scientists from the embryonic stem cell camp join the pro-life camp instead? The greater the number of scientists working together, the greater the potential for breakthroughs right?
More funding: Governments are more likely to give more funding to research that does not spark public outbursts nor antagonise religious authorities right?
More public support: Everyone supports non-controversial research that benefits humanity right? With great public support comes great motivation for scientists right?
More possibilities: Embryonic stem cell research is constrained by the availability of embryonic stem cell lines. So if one is doing other forms of stem cell research that have little constraints, wouldn't there be more possibilities for breakthroughs?
This made me sit up and think about the intense Stem Cells Debate that has been going on for a while... Why are there so many arguments on controversial morality issues but so little on practical issues?
Here's my take on why scientists involved in embryonic stem cell research should switch to other viable alternatives from a pragmatic view:
More scientists: It's a fact that scientists who are pro-life will not participate in embryonic stem cell research - so why don't scientists from the embryonic stem cell camp join the pro-life camp instead? The greater the number of scientists working together, the greater the potential for breakthroughs right?
More funding: Governments are more likely to give more funding to research that does not spark public outbursts nor antagonise religious authorities right?
More public support: Everyone supports non-controversial research that benefits humanity right? With great public support comes great motivation for scientists right?
More possibilities: Embryonic stem cell research is constrained by the availability of embryonic stem cell lines. So if one is doing other forms of stem cell research that have little constraints, wouldn't there be more possibilities for breakthroughs?
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