Today stem cells do not cure a thing

[BOSSHOG]

Just heard on CBS radio news reporting from talks in Washington. The story did not identify the speaker but it sounded like lindsay graham. So would that not be the reason to fund research? Do "conservatives" wallow in their ignorance like pigs wallow in mud? Thank God the great minds of research, Einstein, Edison etc .. didn't have that attitude and weren't conservatives. Can you see the conservative Edison, "fuck this light bulb shit, it will never work."

[Mythsaje]

1. They obviously don't comprehend the way science works...

That's what happens when your whole world-view is bound up in things that allegedly happened two thousand or more years ago. You're walking into the future facing backwards.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I'm not very religious

(thanks to the religious influences in my life) but I would think that if there were a higher power he would be responsible for such scientific and medical advances. I can't imagine religious folks not "believing" that.

[Mythsaje]

8. I'm not particularly religious either...

I'm a pure heretic when it comes to that. Humanist/pantheist. I believe we have the tools we have--mind and hands, to use them. These morons try to cripple us and keep us from doing what we can and that's unforgivable, in my opinion.

[Ezlivin]

2. I went outside and checked: Yep, the earth is flat

Hell, I seen it with my own eyes!

Gotta go. I've got to head down to the river to beat my clothes against the rocks. Later I'll try to start a fire.

[BOSSHOG]

4. And I just love watching the sun revolve around the earth

[moose65]

5. that reminds me of an old joke:

Isn't there some old joke about Edison and the light bulb that talks about him failing hundreds of times and then being successful only once?? That's the way research works! In fact, that's the purpose of research, isn't it? To keep trying until you succeed? Geez Louise!

[BOSSHOG]

9. My favorite inspirational quote I used to aggravate my Sailors

Henry Ford, circa 1903 "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right."

Imagine a young Sailor coming to a grizzly old Chief to tell him he (the young Sailor) "can't" do something. Pissed them off everytime (after they thought about it awhile.) My Sailors were very successful for some reason.

[gratuitous]

14. I think it was this

Someone asked Edison if he wasn't discouraged from all his failures (numbering about a thousand at that point) to perfect the light bulb. Edison replied, "Not at all. I now know a thousand things that won't work!"

Oddly enough, though, the Freeperati who scoff at stem cells are absolutely convinced that our anti-missile defense system will work to shoot down any incoming nuclear warheads with 100% efficiency.

[lapfog_1]

6. Paper I read in a CS class, circa 1976

"Much has been written about the Arpanet..."

"the network to date hasn't provided anything of significance nor has it lived up to the promises of the original proposal..."

[napi21]

7. A lot of Pub callers on WJ this AM said the same thing. The thing

they aren't willing to face is that embryonic stem cells were only isolated in 1998! There was a time when heart surgery didn't work either! Many years of study and experimenting has to be done before there are demonstrated successes. BSing aobut this issue since 2001 hasn't advanced the study either!

[Igel]

10. They're right, and research into a variety of stem cells

continues.

Even most research abroad uses the same embryonic stem cell lines that can receive federal funding here. Private funding, and state funding, can support the production and use of new embryonic stem cell lines.

The problem is that some of the current lines are problematic. But at least one scientist was griping on NPR today: they haven't had the best of results, and the lines currently available (to be federally funded) may not provide the best material to work with.

But a lot of stem cell research involves non-embryonic sources.

Sometimes reporters can keep it straight.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. Half a truth is a full lie.

These restrictions on stem cell research are simply disgusting.

[Igel]

13. I know somebody working on an embryonic stem cell

line that does not qualify for federal funding. They don't publicize it because they're concerned about protesters; I told him they were crazy, it's far too hot and humid for any protesters, and he shrugged his shoulders. They'd prefer to avoid even one person carrying one sign, because then it might make the news and some national or state-level group might make an issue of it.

But it's certainly not illegal. It's just not funded by the federal government. Or by the state, since the state, IIRC, has similar restrictions. It's funded privately and by the (non-public) university. If they wanted to use an established embryonic stem-cell line, or non-embryonic stem cells, they'd likely get federal or state funding.

I see people posting here trying to say that such a thing can't possibly happen because it's illegal. They don't draw the necessary distinctions.

[zulchzulu]

12. Driving a car more than 40mph will make your body fall apart from gravity

The earth is flat!

[karlrschneider]

15. Didn't the head of the Patent Office, around 90 years ago say

something like "we might as well shut this down, everything's already been invented"?

[ismnotwasm]

16. And here I was, just reading an article

In our local University paper about stem cell research possibly leading to regenerating liver cells. I remember the line "despite funding problems, research continues"
Another ray of hope for those suffering from auto-immune liver diseases, or liver destroying diseases. There are a number of very unpleasant ways to die, and end stage liver disease is right up there in the top ten, in my opinion.

Those disgusting assholes have no idea what they are talking about or who they are hurting. There is so much suffering that might be alleviated with stem-cell research.
Even my husband, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, has or had, hope in this research.

These conservatives should walk in his shoes-- when he can walk-- for just one day.