Doctors at Houston’s Texas Medical Center recently pioneered a new experimental treatment for stroke victims in which the patient’s own adult stem cells are harvested and injected into the bloodstream. Dr. Sean Savitz, a neurology professor and the study’s lead investigator, hopes to show that the stem cells will take it from there, migrating to…
Month: March 2009
GM’s Problems Started Decades Ago
Nate Silver’s picture is worth at least a thousand words when it comes to communicating how long GM’s financial troubles have been brewing. Silver also gets the reason behind the company’s demise right: the costs of GM’s retiree pension and health care programs. On one hand it’s easy to look back to 1950 and second-guess…
Texas School Board Rejects Scientific Method
The Texas State Board of Education has overturned its own requirement that public schools teach the strengths and weaknesses of scientific theories presented in the classroom, watering down its language to this less stringent standard: “in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate and critique scientific explanations … including examining all sides of scientific evidence of…
ADHD Medicine’s Value Over Time
In 1999, a group of researchers led by William Pelham released the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA), a paper that failed to note the benefits that children receive from their medicine decline over time. The MTA ran into controversy when an academic review of the paper questioned why it played down negative…
Legalizing Drugs Will Reduce Violent Crime
As demonstrated by his recent decision to send help to the embattled Mexico border region, President Obama is well aware of the problem posed by drug violence, both here at home and overseas. His response, as summarized below, is all wrong. And that’s not just me talking – Harvard’s Jeffery Miron says that same thing….
Darwinists Weigh in on Texas Education
Lisa Falkenberg’s commentary at the Houston Chronicle leaves no doubt that she’s in favor of teaching Texas children that Darwin’s theory about the origins of species as if it were proven, incontrovertible fact. If only that were the case – then perhaps this tiresome debate could finally be put aside. Darwin’s theory about our origins…
Barney Frank: Antonin Scalia is a Homophobe
Modern politicians are often cagey speakers, carefully measuring their assertions so as to allow for maximum wiggle room later if needed. Not so much with Barney Frank who is apparently feeling his oats these days: The Democratic lawmaker, who is gay, was discussing gay marriage and his expectation that the high court would some day…
Federal Judge OKs "Morning After" Pill for Juveniles – Parental Consent Unnecessary
U.S. District Judge Edward Korman says that the Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to approve Plan B for over-the-counter use by juvenile girls was politically motivated. “These political considerations, delays, and implausible justifications for decision-making are not the only evidence of a lack of good faith and reasoned decision-making,” Korman said. “Indeed, the record is…
Cold Fusion Coming Closer?
Pamela Mosier-Boss, a U.S. Navy researcher, isn’t willing to climb out on that limb just yet. But she says that her lab has produced “significant” results, including the generation of highly energetic neutrons, an important byproduct of the fusion process. Other researchers, including Rice University’s Paul Padley are justifiably skeptical – the Pons-Fleischmann debacle was…
Obama Takes Guns Out of Pilots’ Hands, Risks Public Safety
Despite the obvious benefits of having weapons in the right hands during airline flights, the Obama administration is reportedly ending that policy. There is no justifiable reason for this reduction in public safety. In fact, the Washington Times reports that there are exactly zero cases of on-board officers improperly using their weapons. I’ve been willing…