The President's Council on Bioethics has been generating some press recently with regard to their review proposed techniques for obtaining what are effectively embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos. William Saletan gives a better - if very biased - analysis in two parts at Slate. I agree with him that much of this seems to consist of word and definition games (or the result of arbitrary lines drawn in the sand) rather than anything of substance. For my part, I'd be happy to see bioethicists spending far less time and money in their attempts to slow down medical research for longer, healthier lives. Alas, we live in a time in which interference with freedom of research is widely accepted and supported. This is a real threat to our future health and longevity.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=17395