Politics and genetics intertwining

I thought this was worth posting. Skip ahead to 4:00 to see the insanity unfold.



In case you don't have time/desire to watch the clip, here's the premise: new Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell claims that scientists in the United States are currently "creating mice with functional human brains".

What she is actaully referring to (and apparently stopped reading half way through the title) is a study in which two human genes were spliced into Parkinson-model mice to see what sorts of changes can cause or treat Parkinsons.

This is just one more example of what I've been saying: non-scientist politicians have absolutely no business ruling on bioethics or regulating research.

reply to post by VneZonyDostupa


Ridiculous.

Wanna see the influence that politics has on health science? Take a look at nutrition science history. You can start in the 60's and work your way up to the McGovern report, of which was responsible for the first public health, dietary guidelines in America.

Thanks for the reminder

Pretty touchy subject. I totally understand both sides so I'm kinda on the fence with this issue...

Originally posted by kimish
Pretty touchy subject. I totally understand both sides so I'm kinda on the fence with this issue...

Surely you aren't "on the fence" about whether we've created super intelligent "people-mice"?

As for being on the fence about cloning, as the doctor in the video stated, no one is currently trying to do that, at least in the United States. Quite honestly, the benefits of understanding the process better don't outweigh what would surel be a long prison sentence and fine. If we can clone monkeys and use that to treat human patients...why not? Not to sound crass, but who the hell cares about a monkey if we can use it to treat a child with a spinal cord injury or a father with Parkinsons?

Ack, double post. Sorry!

reply to post by VneZonyDostupa


I agree with you. But what I think most people are afraid of is this technology getting into the wrong hands. That's where I'm on the fence... cloning people for something other than medical uses is a scary possibility.

reply to post by DevolutionEvolvd


Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches were popular in the 60's. Anyways, Stay on the topic.

reply to post by VneZonyDostupa


I seriously thought you were crazy when I read that Opening Post of yours.

“American scientific companies are cross breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains.” - Christine O'Donnell

Holy Tea Partier, Republicans. VneZonyDostupa, I'm sorry for thinking you misheard or misquoted her.


No Spin on that whatsoever. Fox is for news what the WWE is for professional Sports.

Christine O'Donnell is in need of a fully functioning human brain. Maybe there is a mouse somewhere....

-ET

Originally posted by Esoteric Teacher

Holy Tea Partier, Republicans. VneZonyDostupa, I'm sorry for thinking you misheard or misquoted her.

Haha, no worries at all! When a colleague of mine told me about it, I though the same thing, despite my fairly cynical and negative view of the Tea Party. I had to find the actual video before I would believe she said it,

No Spin on that whatsoever. Fox is for news what the WWE is for professional Sports.

Absolutely.

Christine O'Donnell is in need of a fully functioning human brain. Maybe there is a mouse somewhere....

The same though crossed my mind. Perhaps she's just worried that some of these super-intelligent mice might take beat her in an election.

Originally posted by kimish
reply to post by VneZonyDostupa

 

I agree with you. But what I think most people are afraid of is this technology getting into the wrong hands. That's where I'm on the fence... cloning people for something other than medical uses is a scary possibility.

An understandable concern, certainly. It's quite a ways off before we can even dream of cloning a human for medical purposes, let alone other reasons, though, if that reassures you at all.

reply to post by kimish


Easy, Jethrow. My comment was well within the topic boundaries...which is the discussion of politics and health.