19 June 2007

Guess the Number of Cells in George's Brain!

George Bush is set to veto his third bit of legislation in six years. For a second time, he's opposing stem cell research.

At the point at which embryonic stem cells are useful to researchers, they have multiplied into only about 30 cells. It is this small cluster of cells to which George has imbued the sanctity of life. By contrast, a fly has about 100,000 brain cells.

On a related note, it is worth remembering that George W's most distinguished accomplishment before the age of 40 was frequent bouts of binge drinking. Research indicates that "a few days of binge drinking can lead to the almost immediate death of brain cells ..."

Researchers have failed to specify whether the brain cells killed by binge drinking are closer in number to the cluster of stem cells George wants to avoid exploiting or the cells in a fly's brain. There is some indication that whatever the number, it is enough to impair judgment later in life, confusion that can lead one to conclude that cells are more important than lives.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

(Sorry for writing anonymously. It's the only way to not have to blog, which makes me crazy). I was listening to an interesting program on this subject today. So much money is tied up in it. Like driving a building.

Perhaps new revenue streams would resolve it over time. There is a lot of promise in new technology. The genius sort- not the fringe sort.

(I keep my fringes nice and straight or else I braid them so they don't get knotted).

Anonymous said...

My favorite part was when George W. said during his radio address, without a hint of irony, "Taxpayers should not have to fund the destruction of human life."

Ron Davison said...

Thomas,
This George fellow is nothing if not a source of mind-bending quotes. I can easily imagine future generations of slackers sitting on the couch getting high and regaling one another with W's utterances, each designed to alternately provoke "Whoa dude" stoner stunned silence or gales of laughter. Of all the things that will be hard to explain about these times to our grandchildren, re-electing George would be at the top of the list.