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Non-Tech : Binary Hodgepodge -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ~digs who wrote (206)	7/22/2001 2:30:47 PM
From: ~digs	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6763

Stem Cell Genie By WILLIAM SAFIRE ; July 16th WASHINGTON -- The stem-cell genie is out of the research bottle. If we command it sensibly, this unexpected servant will help us lead much healthier, longer lives. But if we fail to force the genie to conform to our ethical sense, this future regenerator of tissue and rebuilder of organs and brains could brutalize and demoralize mankind. Sounds dramatic, but that is what is at stake in the stem-cell revolution. We face a decision that is literally a matter of life and death. At first, the issue roiling the Bush White House was framed narrowly: Should the federal government sponsor scientific research using embryonic stem cells to cure diseases? Underlying that: Does the saving of today's human life — and alleviation of untold suffering and present pain — justify the sacrifice of the development of even the most remotely potential human life? Most people's answer is yes. The principled minority that disagrees suggests we experiment with adult stem cells for the next few years, and — if they turn out to be not versatile enough to become the desired tissue — only then consider trying embryonic cells. Many scientists counter that such deliberate delay risks millions of lives. The practical note that intrudes itself is the newly out-of-the-bottle nature of the genie. Whether driven by private funds here or by the investment of public money by foreign governments, embryonic cells will be used to achieve breakthroughs to cures. The cells being used — from embryos no bigger than the period that ends this sentence — are not only frozen cells from fertility clinics destined to be discarded (the least objectionable to those who believe that life begins at the instant of conception). Private laboratories are already creating embryos for the purpose of harvesting their cells to fight disease. No White House refusal to finance with federal dollars can stop this. The question becomes: How do we exert control of the genie? The president has been meeting with ethicists to wrestle with this, but should not try to decide the huge issue alone or to address it piecemeal or hastily. He should listen to the national academies of science and medicine, soon to go public with recommendations. He should then address a joint session of Congress with stem-cell budget policy and legislative proposals to stimulate thoughtful hearings and attract wide support. A couple of suggestions: Start a race among scientists. Finance both adult and embryonic stem- cell research equally and heavily. If cells from adults surprise scientists by creating the targeted regeneration, so much the less controversial; if not, no time or lives would be wasted. Couple this with a permanent, rotating advisory commission on bioethics, members appointed by Congress and the president, to recommend guidelines on all facets of genetic research, not just stem cells. Launch this at a White House Conference on Genes; include enough dissidents to avert groupthink. Ask this commission to assess "somatic cell nuclear transfer," in which the nucleus of an egg is activated with genetic material from the intended patient, creating cells to overcome the danger of rejection of foreign tissue. At the same time — Outlaw cloning of humans. Ian Wilmot, Scotland's cloner of Dolly, is an informed opponent of human replication; he knows how many of his attempts to clone sheep failed, and believes similar attempts with humans would be horrifying. Down that monstrous human-cloning road lies production of slaves for organs, demographic manipulation and notions of master races. Better to say no now and let future generations decide for themselves how far to let the genie go. On the eve of this millennium, The Times asked its Op-Ed columnists to take a long, long look ahead. My contribution was headlined "Why Die?" The title was a fanciful attention- getter for an optimistic thought: as science conquers disease and replaces worn-out organs, humans will be living much, much longer. Neuroscience will match biology's pace, enabling brains to regenerate so that humans can live productively even as we pass the century mark. The genius of our stem-cell genie bids fair to speed longevity's day. The trick is for us to make certain we call the cadence on the march of progress. That means public support of, tied tightly to our ethical control of, embryonic stem-cell research. nytimes.com

To: ~digs who wrote (206)	7/28/2001 9:16:42 PM
From: ~digs	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6763

----------------- Shareware's Greatest Hits PC World, the magazine of PC computing, has just released its ever-helpful "The Best of …" issue, and on the web site version, visitors can download some of the best shareware and freeware available today, all of them 2001 Shareware Industry Awards nominees. (Shareware is software that you can try out and, if you like it, purchase, usually for a nominal fee.) There's Darn Passwords, which remedies the annoying problem of remembering all the passwords you think up on the fly - and promptly forget - when you enter a password-protected site. Space Hound 32 will "sniff out" wasted space on a hard disk. Visitors can also click over to the August 2000 Best Shareware list and download last year's cool programs. pcworld.com ------------------ Aircraft Shopper Online Next time you get bumped from a flight, get even and buy your own 727. You can do it at Aircraft Shopper Online.... whether you want a Learjet for under $1 million or a Boeing 727 for $82 million. Serious shoppers will find aircraft from large transports to amphibians; the rest of us can fantasize about avoiding the commute in a 1964 Brantly B2B helicopter ($38,900). aso.com ------------------ Herbs and Ethnobotany Those who know nothing about St. John's Wort -- or any one of 30,000 other herbs -- and don't want to seem unhip can look it up at the incredibly comprehensive HerbWeb, an ambitious inventory of herbs and plant species. Straightforward and easy to use, the database offers alphabetical searches by common or Latin name, then delivers the herb's claimed attributes, historical uses by cultures throughout the world, ailments, body area and range of use. How reliable is it? Site sources are the "three largest U.S. Government ethnobotany databases, the U.S. National Park Service NPFlora plant inventory lists, and 18 leading works on the subject." herbweb.com --------------------- Around The World in 80 Clicks Photographer Alain Schneuwly has shared his marvelous photographs from around the world at Photographic Memories. The site is beautifully designed with stunning views from some of the world's most exotic destinations: the world's highest mountains and fabulous monastery sights in Tibet, the people and mysteries of the Moroccan desert, "postcards" of a coastal journey through Norway, plus Portugal, Hanoi and even the Paris/Marrakech wedding album of a couple named Gege and Dave celebrating with family and friends. schneuwly.com --------------- The Land of Prisons 'Debt To Society' is Mother Jones' special report on "the real price of prisons." Noting that since 1980 the US inmate population has more than quadrupled to two million, the investigative magazine and web site investigate and expose the cost: from the children left behind unattended while their parents are behind bars, to the moral cost of mass incarceration. Funded by the Foundation for National Progress, the report includes an Incarceration Atlas that lets visitors click on any state to see who's getting locked up where, or join a discussion group on criminal justice to hash out their reactions to the profoundly disturbing numbers, like the rate of HIV in prison populations -- 10 times that of the general population -- or the fact that tuberculosis infects 1 in 4 people in some prisons. motherjones.com --------------------- Fruit Portal The "Mark" of Mark's Fruit Crops is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia and a Master Gardener - clearly a man who loves his fruit. The site describes the world's major fruit crops, from almonds to gooseberries, telling about the taxonomy, origin and history of cultivation, folklore, medicinal and non-food uses, production statistics, botanical description, general culture, harvesting and post-harvest handling and food uses. Also offered: a list of grower catalogues for those who want to buy fruit trees, a surprisingly long list of other fruit-related sites and a chance to ask Professor Mark a question. uga.edu ----------------------- Source: tricksandtrinkets.com