Obama Taps Man Who Unraveled Human Gene Code

[babylonsister]

Francis Collins, Obama's Pick For NIH Chief

LAURAN NEERGAARD | July 8, 2009 06:10 PM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is choosing an influential scientist who helped unravel the human genetic code _ and is known for finding common ground between belief in God and science _ to head the National Institutes of Health.

Obama called Dr. Francis Collins "one of the top scientists in the world" in announcing his nomination Wednesday.

"His groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease," Obama said.

The NIH is the nation's premiere medical research agency, directing $29.5 billion to spur innovative science that leads to better health. Collins, an early gene-hunter, would come to the job not just with the scientific credentials, but with a reputation for translating the complexities of DNA into language the everyday American can understand.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/08/francis-collins-obamas-pi_n_228128.html

[tomm2thumbs]

1. Video where Francis discusses his 'born again' status and God, science

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml0FqyFYfrU

and an interview with him from last year

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bYr_bO8YMQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSmtao57MDw
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmadsWtvVkE

[babylonsister]

3. Do you think his religious views will have an impact on this position, which

to me, is calling on his science background?

[tomm2thumbs]

4. I dunno - it is interesting to see his story and the interview

It is for those to judge individually I suppose

[tomm2thumbs]

6. Quick follow-up also - it seems to me that it affects his personal belief system of how things...

...came about, but does not diminish his ability to discern facts from fiction, or to accept evolution - and he basically says the Intelligent Design movement, as it has been organized, is not truly representative of science or God. He says it diminishes the 'almighty aspect' of God that he would need to insert himself back into his creation at times to adjust or fix things he created.

Anyway, it is an interesting interview if you stick through all of it - and he seems to be a successful scientist in a field. I will do more research on how his moral positions might affect 'scientific discoveries' or their use, but I get the sense that he might say, for instance, that God gave us the genetic code in order to discover new ways to save other humans - rather than he created it so don't mess with it. Just my sense at this point however.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. All I know is I didn't come from some monkey's butthole.

I'm sick and tired of Obama catering to Big Science.

[vaberella]

5. Not a monkey, but a primate. Apparently it looked more like a cat. n/t

[ZombieHorde]

7. I bet his wife is pissed! nt

[tomm2thumbs]

8. The 'Homosexual Therapy' groups who believe in 'treatment' praise him for being on 'their side' but

I think they are trying to pull the punch and redirect it rather than assert what he states. Dr. Collins reviewed the research on homosexuality and offered the following:

"An area of particularly strong public interest is the genetic basis of homosexuality. Evidence from twin studies does in fact support the conclusion that heritable factors play a role in male homosexuality. However, the likelihood that the identical twin of a homosexual male will also be gay is about 20% (compared with 2-4 percent of males in the general population), indicating that sexual orientation is genetically influenced but not hardwired by DNA, and that whatever genes are involved represent predispositions, not predeterminations."

The 'Homosexual Therapy' groups used this to say he was indicating that being gay is not part of nature but it reads to me that it is. When it can be noted in twins in such a significant percent, then it appears it would be considered evidence contrary to their views. The 'Homosexual Therapy' groups say it only shows predisposition, not predetermination. In some cases they actually misquote him.

http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/09/30/what-did-francis-collins-really-say-about-homosexuality/

Just posting as reference.