>Is it possible to conduct research on stem cells in circumstances that affirm the value of human life? What about the hypothetical case of parents who recognize the sanctity of that life, but nonetheless deliver their embryo to what they perceive to be the higher cause of developing cures for disease? This is different from the predatory economic opportunism of the biochemical lab that views the embryo as a disposable asset. Instead, the parent recognizes the embryo as a life but bases the decision on a more noble ethic of sacrifice on behalf of others. But is there ever a situation in which one person can make the decision to self-sacrifice on behalf of another?

While reading this paragraph, I realized that it wouldn't be just this one set of parents, but rather hundreds of sets of parents who feel this way. For even if there is only one disease -- or one aspect of one disease -- that stem cell research would focus on, there would be the need for dozens and dozens of samples.

The scientist would develop a hypothesis, then run a series of trials to see what the effect of that hypothesis is. In addition to the stem cells that are being used to test the hypothesis, there has to be a control group to compare them against. You're talking about hundreds of stem cell cultures.

Just something to ponder.

-Faux Pas