-----Forwarded Message-----by Akira Kawasaki
>From: What's New <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Jun 8, 2007 10:35 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [BOBPARKS-WHATSNEW] What's New Friday June1, 2007 WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 7 Jun 07 Washington, DC 1. IRAQ: TO WHAT PROBLEM IS THE TROOP SURGE A SOLUTION? The news this week was dominated by stories about non-solutions to non-existent problems. At his confirmation hearing yesterday, General Lute the new war czar, told the Senate that unless there is political reform, violence will rage for another year regardless of a troop build up. 2. IRAN: DO WE NEED ANTIMISSILE DEFENSES IN EASTERN EUROPE? Iran is pushing forward with enriching uranium. What will we do about it? Install antimissile sites in Poland and radars in the Czech Republic. Putin is offering the giant radar in Azerbaijan, but he notes that Iran doesn~Rt have a missile. No matter, we don't have a defense. 3. MEXICO: "SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOESN'T LOVE A WALL." The bipartisan immigration reform bill failed in the Senate in the early morning hours today. Other "Great" walls have not worked well. "Before I built a wall," Frost wrote, "I'd ask what I was walling in or walling out." 4. SPACE: WHY FINISH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION? With an astronaut love triangle and shuttle problems, it hasn't been a great year for the ISS, but then, there has never been a great year for the orbiting boondoggle. Atlantis is again set for launch at 7:38 pm ET today. NASA must complete the ISS so it can be dropped into the ocean on schedule in finished form. 5. STEM CELLS: POSSIBLE NEW SOURCE OF EMBRIONIC-LIKE CELLS? Nature yesterday described a brilliant gene transfer method of reprogramming fetal mouse cells to be indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells. Many mouse cures haven't carried over to humans. What is sad is that it should be necessary to take this route. A vast trove of embryonic stem cells in fertility clinics will be autoclaved to satisfy superstitious beliefs. 6. PASSAGE: STEPHEN E. STRAUS, 60, DIED OF BRAIN CANCER. The first director of the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at NIH, his task was to turn the quack-dominated Office of Alternative Medicine, created by Congress, into a scientific center. He did it with grace, the only way possible, subjecting one quack cure after another to randomized double-blind tests, while enduring attacks from scientists who thought he moved too slowly. One after another all failed. Anything else would have invited interference from Congress. I was fortunate to serve on his Steering Committee. THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the University of Maryland, but they should be. --- Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org What's New is moving to a different listserver and our subscription process has changed. To change your subscription status please visit this link: http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=bobparks-whatsnew&A=1
