Mississippi says no to Personhood amendment

Last Tuesday in Mississippi the “personhood amendment” garnered only about 42 percent of votes and (fortunately) did not pass. This proposed amendment to the State Constitution stated, “life of an individual begins at fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof”. We wish to comment that this interpretation should raise serious doubts and concerns. The proposed … Read more

I miss my dog

We got her about twelve years ago, as a little fluff of fur puppy that was happy as a lark, jumping around and into endless mischief. What a joy to be around. She grew up quickly to a medium-sized dog, but still full of energy, and happy to run around in big circles in our … Read more

Another important step towards a cure for aging

Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” Well, for the last couple of years General Electric has shown that it is possible to make billions and pay no taxes. And some recent startling advances in aging research suggest that Ben might have been wrong on both counts. … Read more

Turning skin into sperm

Eggs and sperm are pretty special cells. They are the chains that link one generation to the next. In a sense they are our immortal parts, with some living on in our children, and some of theirs carrying on in yet the following generation, and so on. The scientists that study these cells consider them … Read more

DNA Proves Evolution

In many ways our DNA defines us. Consider identical twins, which are the result of an embryo splitting in early life. They are actually a single individual that divided into two parts during the early stages of embryonic development. They don’t call them identical for nothing. Studies show that in addition to looking the same … Read more

A fresh look at the Creation “Science” Museum

I recently blogged on a visit to the creation science museum, located not far from my home in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a creationist alternative to natural history museums. The creation museum attempts to provide scientific authenticity and respectability to the creationist view that the bible is literally true in every detail. That is, God … Read more

Radical Cloning

There is a quiet revolution going on in the world of cloning. Very few have heard of it, but its potential power is astonishing. Imagine a radical new way to clone that can not only create exact carbon copies of adults, but also allows the generation of important genetic improvements. Another you, but smarter, healthier, … Read more