<p>Just to get the community a little bit closer and for freshmen to get to know each other better (after all it is about networking), let's start with a game. Pick any interesting article from, let's say The Crimson, and discuss it with others.
Let's start with this one.</p>
<p>Harvard recently established a new Stem Cell Research Institute. What are your opinions about stem cell research? Do you think there is anything immoral about it? What are your views about the stand of Bush administration on this research?</p>
<p>As more students have easy access to study drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, these serious stimulants might be on their way to becoming the new coffee. But is anyone worried?</p>
<p>Okay Alice, I'll take you up on your first topic. I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation recently by Doug Melton, the head of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, on the research they're doing there. Melton is hugely impressive and hugely passionate about the work being done at the Institute. This research holds out hope for treatment of a host of diseases, including Alzheimers, Parkinsons, leukemia, AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, that cause widespread human suffering. The embryonic stem cells they use are developed from excess frozen embryos left over from in vitro fertilization treatments, with the informed consent of the donors, that would otherwise be discarded. And the term "embryo" in this context is really a misnomer - they are cell clusters from a fertilized egg that are no bigger than the period in this sentence. We're not talking about partially formed babies here.</p>
<p>This is incredibly important research and the Bush administration position on it is moronic (imho). Harvard's willingness to stand up to this, and to fund this important work without federal funds, makes me proud to be a Harvard alum and a Harvard parent. Btw, the HSCI, in addition to doing its own research, also provides stem cells free of charge to other researchers who would otherwise not have access to them. </p>
<p>Here are a couple of links with some additional information:</p>
<p>And scientists like Hwang Woo-suk gave this already controversial research a bad name by creating, what I think is, one of the greatest scientific fraud in the history of science.</p>