The Prize Nobel
The Prize Nobel- A Lesson for Us All that George W. Bush is not a scientist
The Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2005 went to two remarkably courageous scientists from Australia. Their discovery has done more to save lives and illness than most even could have imagined. What did they do? They discovered, slightly over 20 years ago that ulcers which cause tremendous damage and even cancer are caused not by stomach acid but by a bacteria H. Pylori. What was a most remarkable feature about this is that the discovery at the time was not accepted by the scientific establishment as often is the case in great discoveries.
Many people are writing now about how mainstream science shunned their discovery and it took at least 10 more years to gain acceptance. I will hit this from a different angle. Neither doctor was shut down after their discovery. Neither doctor had their funding stopped. Nether doctor had a government trying to regulate their science. They were free to create and more importantly their critics were free to criticize. They were then free to react to the criticisms and the free flow of information that followed brought about the truth that these two great scientists made the remarkable discovery.
Science and medicine is about free discovery to the benefit of mankind. So what the hell is W. making speeches about limiting stem cell research? It is absolute lunacy that the public even accepts that a non-scientist, a politician has the nerve to even get up on a podium and try to spell the word science. Since when did World scientists need to be told by someone who probably never took a science course how to go about free discovery? President Bush, in his "decision" to limit stem cell research has killed millions unnamed and unknown people. In essence his act has aborted the lives of those born and unborn. I think the Right to Life committee should take away his membership card.
Just in case you don't know - the way the government "stops" research is to stop its funding. Most scientific research requires government funding- otherwise private corporate industry funds research. There really is nothing that bad about corporate research except that is it usually targeted to a product. Don't get me wrong- that is not particularly bad but it needs to be combined with science that supports the freedom of ideas and experimentation.
Essentially government is saying- "It's my ball and if you don't play by my rules I am taking the ball away." Well here's a reality check to W. and Congress: It is not your ball. The people own the ball. You are borrowing it from us until we vote you out of office.
This needs to be on the agenda of every election in America. Stem cell research. It is not only about the limiting of science freedom but it is a limitation of freedom of expression. In the constitution it says, "Congress shall make no law limiting the freedom of speech and expression." By taking away funding for any lab doing a particular research that is not illegal they are indeed doing this.
The limitation of stem cell research is unconstitutional. Do you think that's crazy? We have a President who graduated from an Ivy League college (not mine thank God!) who can't spell nuclear. Now that's crazy.
Dr. K.
Related Topics: Physician-Lawmakers Debate Stem Cell Research, The Future of Stem Cells
The Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2005 went to two remarkably courageous scientists from Australia. Their discovery has done more to save lives and illness than most even could have imagined. What did they do? They discovered, slightly over 20 years ago that ulcers which cause tremendous damage and even cancer are caused not by stomach acid but by a bacteria H. Pylori. What was a most remarkable feature about this is that the discovery at the time was not accepted by the scientific establishment as often is the case in great discoveries.
Many people are writing now about how mainstream science shunned their discovery and it took at least 10 more years to gain acceptance. I will hit this from a different angle. Neither doctor was shut down after their discovery. Neither doctor had their funding stopped. Nether doctor had a government trying to regulate their science. They were free to create and more importantly their critics were free to criticize. They were then free to react to the criticisms and the free flow of information that followed brought about the truth that these two great scientists made the remarkable discovery.
Science and medicine is about free discovery to the benefit of mankind. So what the hell is W. making speeches about limiting stem cell research? It is absolute lunacy that the public even accepts that a non-scientist, a politician has the nerve to even get up on a podium and try to spell the word science. Since when did World scientists need to be told by someone who probably never took a science course how to go about free discovery? President Bush, in his "decision" to limit stem cell research has killed millions unnamed and unknown people. In essence his act has aborted the lives of those born and unborn. I think the Right to Life committee should take away his membership card.
Just in case you don't know - the way the government "stops" research is to stop its funding. Most scientific research requires government funding- otherwise private corporate industry funds research. There really is nothing that bad about corporate research except that is it usually targeted to a product. Don't get me wrong- that is not particularly bad but it needs to be combined with science that supports the freedom of ideas and experimentation.
Essentially government is saying- "It's my ball and if you don't play by my rules I am taking the ball away." Well here's a reality check to W. and Congress: It is not your ball. The people own the ball. You are borrowing it from us until we vote you out of office.
This needs to be on the agenda of every election in America. Stem cell research. It is not only about the limiting of science freedom but it is a limitation of freedom of expression. In the constitution it says, "Congress shall make no law limiting the freedom of speech and expression." By taking away funding for any lab doing a particular research that is not illegal they are indeed doing this.
The limitation of stem cell research is unconstitutional. Do you think that's crazy? We have a President who graduated from an Ivy League college (not mine thank God!) who can't spell nuclear. Now that's crazy.
Dr. K.
Related Topics: Physician-Lawmakers Debate Stem Cell Research, The Future of Stem Cells
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3 Comments:
I agree with you...that religious zealots limiting science according to their cloistered worldview endangers us all.
Mind you, Dr's Barry and Robin didn't have it easy.... Dr BM had to ingest Helicobacter Pylori, get an ulcer, and demonstrate curative antibiotic treatment ON HIMSELF !
Sad but true. Perhaps stemcell research needs someone prominent growing a new organ ?
I agree too. In the past religion often impeeded scientific progress, but most of us thought that stopped some time after Middle Ages. Sad to see we are back there.
I am an engineer working for a research lab and I wouldn't dream of making policy-making decisions in the field in which I have no specialized knowledge. But our politicians seem to be able to do anything - make scientific judgements, practice medicine, etc. What we need is one of them to get an illness that could be helped by this research.
Wouldn't actively wish such a fate on anyone, even GWB, of course... Primum Non Nocere and all that. Mind you...people who project their worldview based solely on their own experience, sadly don't seem to comprehend the suffering of others until they're personally affected in some way.
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