Baby Health Care
Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Friday, October 31, 2008
Just a couple of quick links related to infant health topics:
Avoiding Peanuts May Increase Allergy Risk
A new study suggests that the usual advice of avoiding peanuts during a child’s first two years may actually increase the risk of developing peanut allergies.
Learning to Cope With Infant Eczema
The topic of infant eczema came up in this week’s Coffee Talk. Reader Kathleen passes along this helpful NY Times article.
When Does Life Begin?
Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Thursday, October 30, 2008
Want the absolute latest Science has to say on the question of when life begins?
It’s right here in pdf format.
The link takes you to a new white paper from the Westchester Institute for Ethics & The Human Person.
Authored by Maureen Condic, senior fellow at the institute and Associate Professor of Neurology & Anatomy at the University of Utah School of Medicine, When Does Human Life Begin? A Scientific Perspective should be a handy resource for anyone doing pro-life education and encountering the argument that the question is a matter of faith rather than one of science and reason.
The institute is a great resource for the latest in other bioethics issues, too!
How Great Thou Art
Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Friday, October 10, 2008
Watch this astonishing video of a zebrafish embryo’s first 24 hours.
Wired Science reports:
For the first time, it is possible to actually watch the initial 24 hours of the life of an embryo at the cellular level.
With a newly developed microscope that uses a sheet of light to scan a living organism from many different dimensions, scientists were able to track the complex cellular organization of... READ MORE
A Wave of Good News
Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Thursday, September 25, 2008
We win.
That, according to a friend highly placed in the field of bioethics, is the significance of this story from this morning’s Washington Post.
After The Turning Tide, I didn’t expect to talk about stem cells again so soon, but who could resist such good news?
Scientists are reporting today that they have overcome a major obstacle to using a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells, bolstering... READ MORE
The Turning Tide
Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Monday, September 22, 2008
Wonderful news!
James Thomson, the scientist who first isolated embryonic stem cells, is abandoning that research in favor of research using non-embryonic sources.
If any need confirmation of the rapidly changing landscape, it should come with this announcement planned for the summit: The two Madison companies co-founded by Thomson have merged and shifted their focus to products involving non-embryonic stem cells.
There has been no ethical conversion, I don’t think. What has changed is that cloning and embryonic stem cell research aren’t working, while adult stem cell therapies and cell-reprogramming technology are. (Here’s just the latest adult stem cell therapy: using tooth cells to help stroke victims.)
With a polite nod to Wesley J. Smith for the story.
Stem Cell Research
Posted by Arwen Mosher in News on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
If you’re paying attention to the political scene, you might have caught the recent comment by Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden implying that his political opponents are hypocrites for supporting the rights of disabled children, but not supporting “stem cell research.”
As many commenters have pointed out, one of the most frustrating things about Biden’s comment is that he makes no... READ MORE
Palin’s ‘Bad Example’
Posted by Rebecca Teti in News on Thursday, September 11, 2008
Are Todd & Sarah Palin heroic for welcoming baby Trig into their lives? Some think so, although I suspect any of us would do the same: accept and love our kids as they come to us. I doubt the Palins think heroism was involved.
There’s a third opinion, however, exemplified by this Canadian doctor cited in today’s Los Angeles Times. He thinks Sarah Palin is a bad example because she might encourage... READ MORE
Why Math Rocks
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Just me on Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Since our discussion about education, I’ve been thinking about an aspect of the topic that is dear to my heart.
I feel very strongly about this:
Math and science are awesome for everyone.
The small Catholic liberal arts college from which I graduated required that all students take one semester of mathematics and two semesters of science as part of the core curriculum, acknowledging that a true liberal... READ MORE
