As the congressional debate over embryonic stem cell research reignites after the Easter recess, few will recall the passing anniversary of another great bioethics debate. Only one century ago, eugenics the attempt to improve the human race through better breeding was all the rage in the scientific world. And this spring marks the centenary of the world’s first Read More ›
Senators Dianne Feinstein and Orin Hatch have just introduced Senate Bill 812, which explicitly legalizes human cloning and—since a shortage of human eggs is currently impeding human cloning research (one egg is needed for each attempt at cloning)—the bill also authorizes researchers to pay women to undergo egg procurement. And if the purpose of the legislation wasn’t bad enough, there’s Read More ›
Scientists at Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) had indeed issued a press release claiming they could obtain stem cells by taking only one cell from an early 8-10 cell embryo, which, the release claimed, permitted the embryos to remain viable. (Conventional ESCR is conducted upon later-stage embryos at the 100-200 cell stage, which destroys the embryo.) But upon closer investigation, it Read More ›
Click here to learn more about Discovery Institute’s Bioethics program. “NEW STEM CELL METHOD avoids destroying embryos,” the New York Times headline blared. “Stem cell breakthrough may end political logjam,” chimed in the Los Angeles Times. “Embryos spared in stem cell creation,” affirmed USA Today. Reporting the same supposed scientific achievement by Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), the Washington Post quoted Read More ›
OAKLAND – Alleged breakthrough research on embryonic stem cell lines is being oversold by the media to fit their ideological agenda, according to an article slated for next week’s Weekly Standard by prominent bioethicist Wesley J. Smith. “The American media too often act as advocates in the embryonic stem cell debate, rather than journalists,” says Smith. “As a result, they Read More ›
Testimony of Wesley J. Smith in Opposition to Legislation of Physician-Assisted Suicide in California (AB 651)Before the Senate Judiciary Committee “Informational Hearing,” June 20, 2006 Good afternoon. My name is Wesley J. Smith. I am an author and consumer advocate. I am a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, an attorney and consultant for the International Task Force on Euthanasia Read More ›
This article, published by Scripps Howard News Service, mentions Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards: The curator emeritus for botany at Chicago’s Field Museum of Science last Nov. 9 wrote then-Discovery Institute scholar Jay Richards regarding his book, “The Privileged Planet.” The rest of the article can be found here.
Editor’s Note: The following article appears in the June/July Edition of First Things. Is science really at war with religion? Pamela Winnick’s answer is a firm and worried yes. And in A Jealous God she demonstrates that this war threatens not only religion but science as wellwith the threat coming from the very people who perceive themselves to be science’s Read More ›
Lawyer, author, and bioethicist Wesley J. Smith testified May 25th to the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights hearing on The Consequences of Legalized Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. In his testimony, Smith told the Senators “that there is a proper public policy role for the federal government against assisted suicide, such Read More ›
Bioethicist Wesley J. Smith takes aim at the arguments permeating our culture that devalue human life. Smith makes readers aware of the historic roots of the modern euthanasia movement, which today repeats arguments made by Nazis and proponents of eugenics tied back to 19th century social Darwinism. Smith, a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, is extremely sensitive to the Read More ›