Vellore research centre makes stem cell breakthroughQuestion: How will this be accepted in the US scientific community?
VELLORE: It's a breakthrough that may have the country's medical and scientific community sitting up and taking notice. The Centre for Stem Cell Research at Christian Medical College has succeeded in reprogramming cells drawn from adult mice and making them function like stem cells found in the human embryo.
It has opened a new chapter in stem cell therapy in the country, as the technology can now be applied to generate similar stem cells from adult human cells too. [link]
- Mostly ignored
- Enthusiastically repudiated as hoax
- Welcomed with open arms and the scientists will be celebrated like Dr. Pachauri
- None of the above
Once again, no prizes for correct answers. Get yourself a DVD of Slumdog Millionaire.
15 comments:
you miss a small but important angle -- its at the CHRISTIAN medical college.
It will be noticed.
India is a secular country.
Nope. Actually the name of the college in this case is distracting and has nothing to do with the quiz. Note that the quiz is titled: American Political quiz.
I don't believe that the United States is going to treat it as a hoax blah blah. In the last 8 yrs, thanks to Bush, all stem cell development has been off US coast, including Japan and Spain. They are well aware of it. And honestly, if you get a paper published in Nature or any other top journal (which you should, if your discovery is so INCREDIBLE) no scientist goes around looking at the author and the country and then deciding if the paper is worth it. If it is in Nature, it is. Period.
I also feel we have a tendency to hype our own achievements just cause they are Indian. Stem cell breakthroughs are an everyday affair in science today because it is a very actively researched topic.
Besides, post-Thomas Friedman people are in awe of Indians. Get over this whole Slumdog Millionare affair. It's just one movie. If you see a movie about racism in USA, do you start thinking USA sucks? (If you do you are very narrow minded).
Anne,
I am afraid you are misinformed about the stem cell research issue.
@Barbarindian
On what basis do you say that?
Well, I don't know about the state of stem cell research in those countries but why should that be because of George Bush?
George Bush banned stem cell research in the US for 8 years because it was unethical according to him. Therefore for 8 years, all over the world, stem cell researched progressed while in the US it was stagnant. US scientists working on stem cells were jobless basically and became used to hearing stem cell developments from Japan and Europe because other countries had not banned it.
Few days back, Obama lifted the ban.
What I am trying to say it, the US has not been ridiculing research in any other country. They are at a disadvantage now and they acknowledge it.
George Bush didn't impose any bans on stem cell research.
Don't you google things before responding?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4960750/Barack-Obama-to-reverse-George-Bushs-stem-cell-funding-ban.html
"Barack Obama today plans to lift George W Bush's restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research, the latest reversal of policies implemented by his predecessor."
Did you read the article before responding?
George Bush did not "ban" any research. It is hard to do so constitutionally, in the US. All George Bush did was stop federal funding for "embryonic stem cell research". Keep in mind that he still did not stop federal funding for any other type of stem cell research, i.e. adult stem cell research.
In other words, private companies could still do stem cell research including embryonic stem cell research. Note that most of the medical and drug discoveries were done by private companies, may without federal funding.
Of course you are right Barbar.
But this isn't fully Anne's fault. We have headlines from cbs, scientific american etc. screaming that Obama ended the embryonic stem cell research ban. Progressive media routinely resort to such lie-mongering/misleading statements, and only a few people like you actually take media articles with that healthy dose of skepticism.
It is so tempting to succumb to progressive propaganda and actually believe that everyone else is a fool.
Hmm
Ok this is what wikipedia says:The second bill makes it illegal to create, grow, and abort fetuses for research purposes.
But anyway, before everyone starts blasting me for terminology and forgets the main issue here, I will accept that Bush didn't 'ban' stem cell research.
Anyway, he did slow down research. Thus there was limited stem cell progress. Thus they are used to foreign stem cell achievement. Thus they will not scoff at our achievement
Anne : The "second bill" from which you quote, was passed by the senate, not Bush. In any case, do you seriously think Americans would create, grow and abort fetuses for research purposes?
One can say that Bush contributed to the slowing down of stem cell research, by vetoing the "first bill". But then again, there is a question of whether taxpayer money should be used for something many of them consider unethical etc.
Regarding your "main issue" : I remember a rather accomplished Indian mathematician telling me that papers originating in India would face greater difficulty in being published than those originating in the US ( so it isn't racism as this doesn't affect Indians living in US ). I can't say for sure whether he was being right or wrong. But I wouldn't be surprised if there are prejudices, as the kind of issues Barbar talks about are highly political.
Slumdog : your racism analogy doesn't work because there are tonnes of western reviewers, including Roger Eberts, praising slumdog for bringing the "real India" to viewers.
As an aside, do you realize you were resorting to media-type spin by claiming that you were being blasted for "terminology" - your euphemism for "your mistake being pointed out"?. Please be more honest. Thank you.
Frog,
We have to engage in debate, as you pointed out yourself, we can not blame people with so much of spin by the MSM.
Anne,
It is a good idea to cross check with references provided on Wikipedia, especially for controversial topics. A good summary of the whole issue is below:
Q&A: Embryonic Stem Cells: Exploding the Myths
The stem cell research controversy is a textbook case of how the supposed "liberal" people are actually causing great harm to scientific research. So far, applications of embryonic stem cells remain unproven and in fact caused massive side effect of tumorous growths among some patients. On the other hand, the adult stem cells have provided actual cures.
The issue has reached a stage where the scientific community is afraid to speak out if they reach a breakthrough in adult stem cell research. Any university promoting adult stem cell research will likely get the silent treatment from the current administration.
The purpose of the quiz was to create awareness. I would guess the scientists who made the breakthrough will be ignored.
well, I just wanted to put my view forward. Perhaps you all are right. Let's not fight and get over-defensive about it.
Cheers,
Anne
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