This week, a paper published in Nature presents a potential means of harvesting embryonic stem cells without damaging the embryos. This would theoretically allow cultures of embryonic stem cells to be produced without destroying embryos.

End of stem cell debate, right?

Riiiiiight.

The knee-jerk reaction from the White House was to say,

"Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical questions. This technique does not resolve those concerns."

Yes, serious ethical questions are raised by the idea of harming nothing in order to save human lives. Or something.

The White House then revised its original statement, with Press Secretary Perino telling us,

"This study today reported in Nature Magazine has not been reviewed by scientists and bio-ethicists yet, but it is one that the President believes deserves a good look. He is encouraged that there are scientists who are continuing to look for innovative ways to do stem cell research that would not involve the destruction of embryos. And so he is going to listen to folks after they have a chance to review the study, but it does hold some promise that they would be able to do that type of research without destruction of a human embryo."

Now, I think perhaps the non-scientists out there may not be aware of how goddam funny this statement is. A lot of laypeople might not know that Nature is a top-tier journal. You don't just get published in Nature on a whim. You don't get published in Nature by submitting work that has not been reviewed by other scientists. And you really don't get a stem cell study published in Nature without any ethics oversight.

For this paper to get published in Nature, it went through months (if not years) of peer review. A professional bioethicist consulted directly on the project. It was reviewed by the Ethics Advisory Board of Advanced Cell Technology.

Honestly, I actually laughed to hear the White House claim that a study could get published in Nature without having been reviewed by any scientists or ethicists. It was a bitter laugh, to be sure, since I am myself enduring the excruciating process of peer review with my grant application, as well as a scholarly paper in the works. If only, I sigh. If only.

Upon tasting his very first 12 year old scotch (Black Label, no less), my beloved had the following to say:

"It tastes like barrels."

Here's the update.

We now have almost all of our furniture (just missing some shelving). The TV is arriving Saturday. I am going to be in Park over Labor Day weekend and for some portion of the following week, though I'm not yet certain how large a portion that will be. I will be defending my thesis design before my committee at the end of September. This time I plan to start acquiring sacrificial livestock ahead of time, just in case.

On an unrelated and sad note, it appears that The Raving Atheist is increasing his raving whilst losing his godlessness for all the wrong reasons. I knew that TRA was anti-choice back when I originally added him to my blog roll on the side bar, but I've had anti-choice friends before and I figured it was a small price to pay for his dismantlings of the God Squad columns. However, over the last year he has become increasingly obsessed with the Myth of the Magic Sperm, whereby sperm confers personhood at the instant of fertilization and a complete human individual exists from that moment. Of course this myth collapses for anybody with a rudamentary understanding of human reproduction (identical twins, anyone?), but it can be propped up very nicely if one plugs in a bit of Christian doctrine...and that appears to be what TRA is working up to.

The Raving Atheist Conversion Watch has been followed by Amanda at Pandagon, PZ Myers, and Zuzu over at Feministe. It's rather interesting to see this process of conversion unfolding, because it further underscores the importance of the process of becoming and remaining godless. Rejecting one set of superstitions while clinging to another is not really going to accomplish anything.

Sorry that posting has been a bit light of late. It turns out that moving is a process that extends over many weeks, and grad school is an excruciating and endless series of crises.

To tide you over, nibble on a snarky tidbit from Shakespeare's Sister (guest posting at The Rude Pundit):

To wit, the American Values Agenda, which was the centerpiece of House legislation before the hardworking wankers of Congress left for their much-needed break, new raise in hand. The retrofuck jackholes known as the House GOP debated the federal marriage amendment, which had not a Republican’s chance in heaven of passing, but did it anyway, because it’s fun to fling poo at the gays. They debated the Pledge Protection Act, designed to protect the Pledge of Allegiance from legal challenges to the phrase “under God,” because it’s fun to fling poo at the atheists. The American Values Agenda also included bills to ban human cloning, require women seeking late-term abortions to be informed that the fetus feels pain, ban internet gambling, and protect gun rights, because what Americans are really worried about these days is making sure they have guns to fight to married gay clones who convince women to have whimsical late-term abortions so they can dedicate their days to online gambling instead of mothering a future generation of voter monkeys who will screech with delight at all the poo-launching.

American values, bitchez! Ooh-ooh-ooh ahh-ahh-ahh!