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.