Thursday, August 24, 2006

Dead Skunks: Here's one of those episodes where moderation actually pleases nobody. Scientists have discovered a way to harvest stem cells without destroying the embryo. By removing one of the cells early in development and then multiplying that cell, the embryo remains as viable as an embryo can be -- sitting in a freezer waiting for disposal.

Other scientists who favor the traditional means of extracting stem cells say this new method is unnecessarily expensive and inefficient. Conservatives still reject it because it's not what God wants.

In other news, the morning-after pill has been approved for purchase without a prescription. The pill helps prevent pregnancy soon after intercourse, but it does nothing to stop a pregnancy that has already occurred. It has been deemed safe, so the FDA approved it, for women over 18. Girls younger than that still need a doctor's permission, because apparently the last thing we'd want is to make it easier for a teenager to avoid getting pregnant.

Sometimes the only thing that can get done is that which makes nobody happy.