Stem cell research has again raised hopes about what science can do -- but also reminded us to be patient in reacting to news of supposed advances.



Hopes were raised when researchers in Wisconsin and Japan figured out how to turn ordinary skin cells into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells.
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Don't worry. Most of it will treat it with the greatest of caution. We'll ignore it completely, concentrating rather on the latest Osmond based non event coverage or the latest doings of Romney within 'the party'. There is only one party, isn't there?

Science is progressive; it always moves forward. Yet the dwindling American attention span cannot fathom this. They want sound bites, news blurbs, things easy to swallow and digest. This editorial makes such an obvious claim, that it should be laughably stupid: the herald is telling us to treat science like its, uh, science...with a healthy degree of skepticism. The fact that this actually the subject of an editorial is a pathetic reflection on America's understanding of the scientific method.

leftintheuc wrote:

Science is progressive; it always moves forward. Yet the dwindling American attention span cannot fathom this. They want sound bites, news blurbs, things easy to swallow and digest. This editorial makes such an obvious claim, that it should be laughably stupid: the herald is telling us to treat science like its, uh, science...with a healthy degree of skepticism. The fact that this actually the subject of an editorial is a pathetic reflection on America's understanding of the scientific method.


I agree that the editoial was poorly written.

However it was not entirely w/o merit...I think too many people read an article about some miracle cure from a study done somewhere and use a product that has that miracle ingredient thinking it will grant them a longer healthier life. Only to find out later that the study was somehow flawed. Caution when it's related to this type of scientific discovery is a good idea.

dreadpirateroberts wrote:

leftintheuc wrote:

Science is progressive; it always moves forward. Yet the dwindling American attention span cannot fathom this. They want sound bites, news blurbs, things easy to swallow and digest. This editorial makes such an obvious claim, that it should be laughably stupid: the herald is telling us to treat science like its, uh, science...with a healthy degree of skepticism. The fact that this actually the subject of an editorial is a pathetic reflection on America's understanding of the scientific method.


I agree that the editoial was poorly written.

However it was not entirely w/o merit...I think too many people read an article about some miracle cure from a study done somewhere and use a product that has that miracle ingredient thinking it will grant them a longer healthier life. Only to find out later that the study was somehow flawed. Caution when it's related to this type of scientific discovery is a good idea.


I wasn't criticizing the editorial; I was criticizing the need for the editorial. Skepticism is always important and, if we were a nation well trained in science, that fact would be obvious.