The ethics of Stem Cell Research

[emasesnepo]

I am currently undertaking some research into public thoughts on

therapeutic cloning and stem cell research for my MSc.

 

I would be grateful to you if you would spare a few minutes and

respond to my online questionnaire about the subject. All information

you provide is confidential and non-identifable.

 

The link is: http://www.urbansea.com/s802/ and will be available for

a couple of weeks from the date of this message.

 

If you have any specific comments, either relating to the questions

or your views on therapeutic stem cell research then please email

them to me, at: scmail @ excite.com (removing spaces used to reduce

spam).

 

Many thanks,

Steven

[timo]

1) I´m not going to E-Mail you because I don´t give out my address to people I don´t know. The fact that I received about ten spam-mails in the last five years backs up that attitude. Hope you come back here and read my post.

 

2) I don´t really know how cross-posting is handeled in here but it´s usually not a good idea to post the same thing in different sections. The desire to reach a maximum number of people is understandable but usually the interest of everyone posting in the internet. They don´t cross-post and one should really stay off the arrogance to think "but my post is more important".

 

3) I filled out the form but I ran into serious trouble at almost every question. Dunno if that´s due to my limited knowledge about stem cell research or because I try to only answer questions I really understand (and have a decent answer to choose) or because you put little effort in creating the form. Let me give a few examples:

 

- Do you belong to a religion?

I´m not sure if that asked if I´m member of a religion (yes, I even pay taxes to the church) or if I feel associated with one (no). I answered "yes" because it´s technically correct. Not sure if that question helps you, though. An estimated 96% (just a guess) of the people are member of a religion, technically.

 

- Q6-8, Q10

I didn´t have an idea about any of the questions except those that left a lot of room for interpretation. That was the point where I thought: "Maybe I´m not the audience that survey is targetted towards".

 

- Q13+

Was there anyone that didn´t answer "a),14:Yes" or "b),15:Yes" ?

 

- Q19c: "Do you think the goverment is more influenced by the biotechnology industry?"

I´m not a native english speaker so it´s possible I simply didn´t understand the question, but: More than what? Do not phrase such vague statements except if it´s to test the intelligence of the reader. I didn´t see typical things like questions asked twice with a different wording so I don´t think you were up to this, here.

 

- Q5:

Don´t know what your thesis will be about but I was very surprised that I wasn´t asked about my lvl of knowledge on the topic.

 

4) I was very surprised not to see a question were I was asked wether I work in the field of stem cell research. Or was that what the mysterious "professional qualification" in Q3 was?

 

5) I don´t know if the software you created the survey with allows it but it would have been a good idea to add a notepad where people could write comments. For example I had been able to write this post there and knowing you´d read it, then.

 

6) Well, hearing you are doing your master you most probably already know that but I think it´s good to add it in a post that sounds as negative and pedantic as this one: Take this as an advice not an attack! I´m quite aware that you might know about the problems with surveys and a limited number of choices.

 

GL&HF with your master thesis!

[BeckyK]

I did it

[MolecularMan14]

all for therapeudic cloning, also supporting stem-cell research

[5614]

i highly support all therapeudic cloning

i highly support all stem-cell research

i personally think that humand cloning is ok, so long as it is controlled... science needs to go forward, for that it needs to experiment... [i know what most people think of that last sentence, please dont get all angry and start arguing, just read the original post and post your view, dont argue other, for emasesnepo]

[MolecularMan14]

by that do you mean reproductinve cloning or just therapeudic? I cant say that Im all for reproductive cloning, because I can't really see a practical prupose of it, even if you kid dies, and you collect some DNA, the clone will never reall be exactly the same. Then again, I suppose that it's better than not having one. There would be a whole different relationship between the child and the parent. But still I dont see anything terribly wrong with it. Its just about the same as making a new child, only using the blueprints for another one. No 2 clones will ever be exactly the same...well their genotype will be but certainly not their phenotype.

[MolecularMan14]

wow...i just rambled on, and on, and on, lol, sry

[5614]

i think everything, all cloning is ok, so long as it is controlled.... i.e. clones of people dont start poping up everywhere.... for medical research its fine, then if it works well we could clone human, although as there is not much practical use it shouldnt be wide spread.

science needs to go forward, for that it needs to experiment... [i know what most people think of this post, please dont get all angry and start arguing, just read the original post and post your view, dont argue other for emasesnepo]

[drz]

I want a clone so I can send him to work and I can sit around and be lazy!

 

Nah, seriously, these people opposing stem cell research is like someone opposing putting brake pedals in school busses. I mean, the potential for medical purposes alone, no more waiting lists, no more matching donors, more increased life span, the potentials are endless really.

 

And boohoo, an embryo that WAS NEVER INTENDED TO LIVE will be destroyed, so that countless others who are alive and not so well can live.

[5614]

HERE HERE, I AGREE, WELL PUT

[Guest schatz]

I agree that therapeutic cloning could be great, but what worries me is the abuse. Plastic surgery and breast implants started out for the good. Cloning could just be a way for SOME scientists to start some kind of master race. But, as was stated earlier, it could be great if controlled.

[emasesnepo]

Thank you to all who visited, posted or emailed comments and completed the questionnaire. The results are interesting.

 

The main findings suggest that the majority of people would accept treatments derived from stem cells but they did not fully understand the complexities of the techniques involved or the risks associated with them.

 

Steven