5 ms·

This may be a bleak way to look at things, but the money the rest of the world will start making with this in the future will ensure that we eventually come aro

by gtaylor 10y ago

This may be a bleak way to look at things, but the money the rest of the world will start making with this in the future will ensure that we eventually come around. Money wins over morals and ethics much of the time.

gtaylor 10y ago
Not to say that this research isn't ethical or moral. More that we'll eventually benefit from this.
- komali2 10y ago
  Generally the well-educated believe it is ethical and moral research, but there's a vast swath of America that believe that it is unethical, either from a misunderstanding of how the research is done, or simply from a total moral objection to the research at all. So you're right, but it's still an issue until we can solve the misinformation problem.
  - zhemao 10y ago
    What misunderstanding do you think they have? Producing embryonic stem cells requires destroying an embryo. Yes, the embryos are mostly castoffs from fertility clinics and would likely be destroyed as medical waste anyway. But that doesn't matter one bit to people who believe embryos are human beings and deserve legal protection.
jpgvm 10y ago
Yeah that is potentially true. Many of these types won't let morals or ethics get in the way of making money. They just aren't too keen on spending money on the good of mankind however.
- cmdrfred 10y ago
  >They just aren't too keen on spending money on the good of mankind however. What if they cut your taxes? Then you can spend your money on anything you think might benefit mankind instead.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
    That doesn't follow. If the government cuts taxes but at the same time prohibits an activity I can't then use the money I've saved by paying less tax on that banned activity. For some things it does work. I could spend the money on recreational drugs, for example, because they are available, however I don't personally know any stem cell therapy practitioners, nor any who are prepared to flout the law. Edit: removed a word because it made a sentence ambiguous
- gtaylor 10y ago
  Luckily, I think this is one of those cases where investing in this particular field will be good for humanity _and_ profitable. Hopefully not $900 Epi Pen profitable, though...
- jpgvm 10y ago
  @cmdrfred I don't really know where is the best area to invest in, personally I prefer to just pay my taxes and have a government in place that either consists of or consults with the appropriate experts. In Australia we are fairly lucky in this regard, our government is 'mostly' good, for some value of mostly at least. I'm not saying it couldn't be more efficient but definitely more efficient than research institutions needing to market to the broad public for funding.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
    Hello fellow Australian. Tip: if you don't see a reply link on the comment you want to reply to try clicking on the time stamp link to the right of the commenters username, the reply comment box should then appear on a new page.
    - jpgvm 10y ago
      Thanks! I didn't know it worked that way, that seems.. unintuitive to say the least heh.
      - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
        I've not read any explanation as to why it is that way, only that it is. Such is life.
        clort 10y ago
        Reply link does not appear straight away. In the time it took for you to read comments and click the specific link, enough time had passed so that the reply link was available
        eric_h 10y ago
        I believe there's a delay in place before you can reply to a reply to your own comment (presumably to force you to breathe a bit if you're potentially about to engage in a flame war).
r00fus 10y ago
Meanwhile death and suffering will happen that could have been averted. Or to put it in a stronger business-context, the money to be made here in the US will have been squandered by politics. Because while there is a moral argument here, it's been thoroughly coopted by politicians using it to gain/keep power.
- dmix 10y ago
  That's why medical tourism is a big and growing industry. Much like other political policies fruitlessly trying to end legitimate supply/demand as long as people want it there are always ways around it. I'm sure any paralyzed person would easily take a $300 flight to Canada for the surgery. The only risk is that the US has the highest amount of human scientific capital. But much like the EPA thing that turned out to be overblown (according to multiple EPA reps who said the memo was routine and that Obama did much the same, without drawing the subsequent outrage) I'm going to wait until legitimate threats to stem cell research are made before I'm concerned.
  - tummybug 10y ago
    This. On a more local scale (EU) medical tourism is huge. I know of many family members travelling a short distance to avail of much cheaper dental work abroad. In fact I am surprised this isn't advertised more.

by gtaylor 10y ago

gtaylor 10y ago

Not to say that this research isn't ethical or moral. More that we'll eventually benefit from this.

komali2 10y ago
Generally the well-educated believe it is ethical and moral research, but there's a vast swath of America that believe that it is unethical, either from a misunderstanding of how the research is done, or simply from a total moral objection to the research at all. So you're right, but it's still an issue until we can solve the misinformation problem.
- zhemao 10y ago
  What misunderstanding do you think they have? Producing embryonic stem cells requires destroying an embryo. Yes, the embryos are mostly castoffs from fertility clinics and would likely be destroyed as medical waste anyway. But that doesn't matter one bit to people who believe embryos are human beings and deserve legal protection.

jpgvm 10y ago

Yeah that is potentially true. Many of these types won't let morals or ethics get in the way of making money. They just aren't too keen on spending money on the good of mankind however.

cmdrfred 10y ago
>They just aren't too keen on spending money on the good of mankind however. What if they cut your taxes? Then you can spend your money on anything you think might benefit mankind instead.
- TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
  That doesn't follow. If the government cuts taxes but at the same time prohibits an activity I can't then use the money I've saved by paying less tax on that banned activity. For some things it does work. I could spend the money on recreational drugs, for example, because they are available, however I don't personally know any stem cell therapy practitioners, nor any who are prepared to flout the law. Edit: removed a word because it made a sentence ambiguous
gtaylor 10y ago
Luckily, I think this is one of those cases where investing in this particular field will be good for humanity _and_ profitable. Hopefully not $900 Epi Pen profitable, though...
jpgvm 10y ago
@cmdrfred I don't really know where is the best area to invest in, personally I prefer to just pay my taxes and have a government in place that either consists of or consults with the appropriate experts. In Australia we are fairly lucky in this regard, our government is 'mostly' good, for some value of mostly at least. I'm not saying it couldn't be more efficient but definitely more efficient than research institutions needing to market to the broad public for funding.
- TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
  Hello fellow Australian. Tip: if you don't see a reply link on the comment you want to reply to try clicking on the time stamp link to the right of the commenters username, the reply comment box should then appear on a new page.
  - jpgvm 10y ago
    Thanks! I didn't know it worked that way, that seems.. unintuitive to say the least heh.
    - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
      I've not read any explanation as to why it is that way, only that it is. Such is life.
      - clort 10y ago
        Reply link does not appear straight away. In the time it took for you to read comments and click the specific link, enough time had passed so that the reply link was available
      - eric_h 10y ago
        I believe there's a delay in place before you can reply to a reply to your own comment (presumably to force you to breathe a bit if you're potentially about to engage in a flame war).

r00fus 10y ago

Meanwhile death and suffering will happen that could have been averted. Or to put it in a stronger business-context, the money to be made here in the US will have been squandered by politics. Because while there is a moral argument here, it's been thoroughly coopted by politicians using it to gain/keep power.

dmix 10y ago
That's why medical tourism is a big and growing industry. Much like other political policies fruitlessly trying to end legitimate supply/demand as long as people want it there are always ways around it. I'm sure any paralyzed person would easily take a $300 flight to Canada for the surgery. The only risk is that the US has the highest amount of human scientific capital. But much like the EPA thing that turned out to be overblown (according to multiple EPA reps who said the memo was routine and that Obama did much the same, without drawing the subsequent outrage) I'm going to wait until legitimate threats to stem cell research are made before I'm concerned.
- tummybug 10y ago
  This. On a more local scale (EU) medical tourism is huge. I know of many family members travelling a short distance to avail of much cheaper dental work abroad. In fact I am surprised this isn't advertised more.