Stem cells and the greater good...

While the general topic of stem cell research has vastly complicated (mostly unnecessarily so) political and religious dimensions, an article in Nature throws some light on the main points of contention. Much of the debate seems to centre on opinions about 'when life begins'.

1. Apparently, Islam and Judaism have no problem with embryonic research. According to their tenets, 'life begins 40 days after conception' (I would surely like to know the method, if there is any, which they used to determine this!) and so there's no harm in using a younger than 40 days embryo for extracting stem cells.

2. The stance of Hinduism is interesting, and again reminds me of the general quality of tolerance that is embodied in that religion. According to Hindu philosophy, life does begin at conception. However, according to Swami Tyagananda at MIT, there is no problem in destroying life in an embryonic stage, if it is being done for the greater good. In the Mahabharata, Krishna has no qualms about even resorting to trickery in killing the Kauravas, because it ultimately would lead to a much greater good, and the principle seems to have endured after such a long time. This is probably much better than any other religious belief, except for the fact that in the cloistered precincts of human affairs, 'the greater good' is frequently hard to define. In this case, however, I am happy to note that it is taken to mean curing Alzheimer's and other serious diseases. For once, Swami Tyagananda and the scientists seemed to have reached an agreement.
Scientifically, even the opinion that life begins at conception seems to me to be a fuzzy concept. How do you define the exact moment of conception? Is it during the act of conception? Or when the sperm reaches the ovum? Or when it penetrates the ovum?...We could go on. The problem ironically is, even the seemingly well-defined (and frequently fanatical) beliefs of religion are never ever unambiguous.

3. Predictably, the strongest objections come from Christian sects that condemn the 'killing' of an embryo, even if it is a three day old amorphous clump of cells. While this roughly matches current Vatican thinking, that institution seems to conform more to our idea of a 'human rights group'. The Vatican does not strictly claim that the early embryo is a person- only that 'it deserves respect as a potential human being'. Eventually, the Vatican may even change its opinions, but only in the kind of agonizingly slow process that Galileo's case demonstrated.

Last but not the least, I don't even need to voice my opinions about the sheer stupidity of groups who are arguing against birth control pills because they apparently prevent the embryo from forming and hence stifle life...

At this rate, finally, only the God who many scientists and rationalists don't believe in could possibly save them...and everyone else!!

History...

One of the problems the lay public has many times with science is that it looks too technical and specialized, even elitist. While that is true (not the elitist part that is) and essential for its progress, I think that it may do the public (or even science students) good if they look at the bigger picture. In this case, it means taking a look at the history of science. I think that a healthy dose of the history of science will definitely convince every skeptic of how this glorious enterprise has evolved, and more importantly, how it has served to rid us of many social evils through rational thinking. Scientific history also teaches us that we are part of a remarkable fabric of reality, the threads of which we are just beginning to unravel. In this era of religious, political and social transition and instability, I think this understanding really will serve to stabilize and inform.

In the beginning...

Quo Vadis? Where to begin? How do we even start contemplating this vast ocean and knowledge of thought and action known as 'science'?
Science is not just a field of study but it's a way of life and thought, not limited only to the archetypal 'scientist', but extended to any rational human being. Science offers us a window of sanity and rationality through which we can make a foray into today's uncertain world. Just like politics, psychology, history and philosophy, it has its own profound place among our society. Its function may be obscured by the seemingly technical nature of its specialities. However, it has had an impact on our thoughts and way of life, mostly unconscious, that is second to none. Ordinarily, we think of science as comprising of Newton's laws, Einstein's theories, Priestley's oxygen, Faraday's electrochemistry, Boltzmann's thermodynamics, Rutherford's atom, Darwin's species, Watson and Crick's DNA, Shockley's transistor, Hawking's black-holes and Edison's light bulb. But, important as these things may be, the real value of science lies in much more. It lies in Galileo's defiance of the church, Copernicus's falsification of the geocentric universe, Wohler's proving the 'vitalists' wrong, Darwin's attack on creationism, Hahn and Strassman's discovery of fission, Madame Curie's discovery of radioactivity, and many more events that were a vehicle of social progress. Supported by other men and women of rationality, these scientists were cardinal in leading mankind out of the darkness onto the path of progress, with far reaching impact on society. Many of them had to, and still have to, contend with the most vehement criticism and opposition. However, the most significant feature of science is that it has no place for dogma, and so any opposition can never gain the upper hand. The scientist is free to do any experiment he wants, question the judgement of anyone he wants, formulate any theory he wants. This completely non-hierarchial structure of science marks it apart from any other human activity. Any wrongly asserted principle in science can never stay so for long, no matter who the originator is, and it is quickly exposed by the most infallible judge-experiment and observation.
This is a blog about science in the broadest sense of the term. It will include miscellaneous posts about recent discoveries, about historical events and facts related to science, about scientists and their triumphs and tragedies, and about the general nature and philosophy of science. Anyone is free to contribute. Just send me a mail at ajogale@emory.edu.
With that, let's say 'Carpe diem'! and go ahead...