[extropy-chat] Three-quarters of N. American's support stemcellresearch

[J. Andrew Rogers]

On Jun 20, 2004, at 12:35 AM, Reason wrote:
> http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000127.php
>
> This sort of thing makes me grind my teeth. The fact that any research 
> has
> happened at all in the past few years is a tribute to how much people 
> want
> it to happen.


That's what every activist says about their cause.  "It is a miracle 
Disaster X hasn't happened, and it is only because people really care, 
but next year Disaster X is almost inevitable."  So on and so forth for 
a couple decades rain or shine whether anyone actually listens to them 
or not.  One has to be able to assign realistic probabilities to all 
the random "what-ifs" that pop into your head or all you'll do is burn 
all your energy generating heat rather than light.

I haven't seen much evidence that stem cell research has been slowed 
much at all.  There are activist factions on both sides that act like 
the world is coming to an end (which seems odd considering that they 
are predicting opposite outcomes), but back in the real world progress 
is managing to trudge along in a sane fashion like it always has.

It is far too easy to get caught up in the exciting rhetoric and lose 
sight of the dirty and bland reality.

j. andrew rogers