ESC Research

Further insight into the state of embryonic stem cell research, from Science Daily.

Is Technology Evil?

I like technology. I grew up reading Golden Age Science Fiction. Stories of a future where technology and knowledge are our salvation (yes, there is soteriology in there).

When it came time to work, I wanted to do everything related to computers. I snarfed up everything technology related.

But, now that I am a Christian, I must examine everything Biblically.

There is an interesting account of the fate of Cain (and his descendants) in Genesis 4.

1. Cain was a farmer (Seth kept sheep, which is a pretty simple task)
2. Cain built the first city
3. Jabal started keeping cattle
4. Jubal started playing the harp and organ
5. Tubalcain started working in bronze and iron

No innovations are credited to the sons of Seth.

Numbers 3 and 4 are interesting. Cattle are clean animals, used in many of the sacrifices of the old covenant. And David played the harp (and many instruments were prescribed by God for use in temple worship).

Of course, I should have known this before starting this exercise. Technology is not good or evil, it is the heart that counts. We can use technology to serve God, or we can use it to please ourselves - and distract us from God's hold on us.

I think that second part is the big point. Men seek distraction from the reminder of God's judgment on sin. The development and use of technology can play a very big role in that.

The Pill

CNN is doing a special on the 50th anniversary of the the pill. They have quotes from thirteen women, and one man. I will group them according to the tone of their response.

1. Solidly Against - two of the women: Notare, a Catholic; and Matalin, a Republican strategist. Matalin, I think, captures a lot of the anti-sentiment: "And how did they manifest their superiority? Their freedom? Thanks to The Pill, by casual, drive-by sex."


2. Mixed reaction - only two (I was somewhat surprised): Welch, and Walker. Welch is grasping at the problem, although she cannot truly identify it: "I'm ashamed to admit that I myself have been married four times, and yet I still feel that marriage is the cornerstone of civilization, an essential institution that stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children. Strong family-orientated communities save us from anarchy."


3. Solidly for - the other ten.

Among the ten, it is interesting how much of the focus is on jobs (or "careers"). The key words are all about "control", "freedom", and "planning" (or the converse, "derail"). Sometimes "equality".

The man selected for comment was Hugh Hefner. A choice quote: "I always felt, quite frankly, that the notion that sex was just for procreation was just wrong."


Medically, there are two effects of the pill: to prevent ovulation, and to prevent implantation.

There is nothing wrong with preventing ovulation (although one may question if the cost of side effects of the pill are worth this effect).

The problem is that preventing implantation kills the embryo in cases where ovulation still occurs. I have not seen any numbers on how often this occurs. The medical community is mostly concerned with preventing pregnancy, and the pill is very effective at that.

ASC and Parkinson's

Interesting article at Science Daily on using adult stem cells to increase dopamine levels in mice.

ESC Research

An interesting article at Science Daily. Again, ESC is primarily used for information gathering.

ASC and MS

Promising news from Science Daily:

"completed a small trial in patients with MS to begin translating these findings from the laboratory to the clinic."

Star Data

I posted a link to an online star catalog earlier. I haven't had a chance to make use of it.

Science Daily has another (this in infared).