Morally cloudy subjects (e.g. those that nvolve research on animals and humans) are often subject to a lot of press, hype and propaganda.

It is each persons prerogative, and right, to be able to make their own informed decisions on the subject, whether they turn to the scientific, philosophical or theological arguments for personal justification. For example, as a scientist, avid reader and, admittedly, cynic, I find it difficult to bring religion into the argument and thus would find it impossible to argue with someone who denounces stem cell research on behalf of their God.

Rather than present my views, which (from experience) will end up with a cyclical argument,I'd like to point out some reading material that may be of interest...

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Cloning: Past, Present and the Exciting Future
www.faseb.org/opar/cloning/

New Scientist: It's Business as Usual
www.newscientist.com/nsplus/insight/clone/itsbusiness.html

Scientific American: Turning Back the Strands of Time
www.sciam.com/explorations/1998/020298telomere/telomere.html

The National Institute of Health (USA)
www.nih.gov/health/chip/nia/aging/

The Progeria Research Foundation
www.progeriaresearch.org

And if that wasn't enough...

Reversing Human Ageing
by Michael Fossel (William Morrow & Company Inc)

Enjoy.

Bourne