Obama Overturns Stem Cell Funding Ban

Obama is certainly an accomplished diplomat. He is able to befriend the "good ole boys", while moving ahead with lifting repressive restriction.

It's about time! There were never neither scientific nor ethical foundation for a ban. Reason is back in the White House ready to fight against diseases, for the sake of the living.

Fantastic news. At last, some sense about it.

I am not against it, but while it was illegal to use federal funds to do embryonic stem cell research, it was never illegal for private funds to be used, and much of the research is done outside the US.

Embryonic stem cells from the embellicus were always ok for any research, for example, yet there have been very few breakthroughs in the last 8 years in other countries or in the private sector.

Cypresso, the research has never been at a standstill. That is pure propaganda.

Cypresso, do you actually read scientific journals or talk to the people involved?

There has always been money available privately for research. Anyone who wanted to fund the research could get money from a host of great foundations. You couldn't get it from the fed gov't.

This is not a matter of opinion.

Cypresso, both sides use propaganda and lie to make their points about how the other side is the boogieman.

Those foundations could give the money, but not money from the gov't. That is the law. You cannot blame a shortage of funds on Bush.

Hell, we are just one country in the world. There is plenty of research going on in Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Korea.

The Who: the new boss is the same as the old boss. 

As Castaneda's Don Juan would put it: involvement in your self-image leads to aggrandizement of the self and an incapacity to admit to being quite like the other side, so much so that tragic results occur as the real truth gets buried.

Bush was a disaster, but I don't think piling on in the name of political correctness contributes to improvement.

Stem cell research has been a bit of a disappointment around the world. The latest advances use adult stem cell lines, totally legal under Bush.

Here is a link to a map of the world and the stem cell research policies of the world: Stem Cell Research Around the World.

The map has been uploaded  as an image. You see a lot of dark brown. Those countries have few restrictions outside of not cloning humans The lighter brown countries allow adult lines, and there are already existent lines of embryos that may be permitted.

About time too - real breakthroughs can be made with this technology!

I am not sure about this, the way the bill is written it does open the doors to a lot of pottencially dangerous research and very unethical as well.

They wont be a miracle cure nor eternal life coming out of this, but rather a lot more thinks then our GMO debate generates and this most forget. All love Obama and there for no one checks the facts behind this.

This is like the Atom bomb in 1944. 

it was more of a case of whether America wants to be part of the stem cell research. Other countries are racing ahead in this field and the work will take place regardless of what people think. It can't be stopped.

China is pumping millions into research and in the near future will be exporting new body parts. Gives a whole new meaning to a "Chinese takeaway!" Their main lucrative market will be transplants in America.

Japan is another country pushing ahead with research because they seem to have a problem with the philosophy of transplants and very few operations take place. Most people needing a transplant go to other countries. They don't seem to have the same philosophical barrier when it comes to body parts grown from stem cells.

The advancement of medicine is always questioned but if it leads to an improvement in the quality of life for those with serious illness, like Parkinson's Disease, then I for one think its the right direction to go.

I don't believe any researcher is thinking about creating the "perfect human being" but rather dealing with some of the major problems some people experience even from birth.

Of course, there are those who will strongly oppose the research, equating it with the work of the Devil, while others believe children born weak, with disabilities or the old shouldn't receive health care.

Others will be concerned about increasing the length of a single life. Will we eventually see people living more than 150-years and still in remarkable good health? Will the resources of the planet be able to support such an increase in life span?

A brave new world lies ahead!