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A conservative voice Regarding your editorial entitled Guilt trip (August 2001, p 7) in support of stem cell research: What a poor argument from a scientist! Because its going to be done anyway, we should allow it? Applying that argument universally would be disastrous. Imagine saying, Because murders are going to happen anyway, we should legalize them. Please save this type of editorial for Time, Newsweek, or a fund-raising letter from NOW [the National Organization for Women]. Why do scientists often fall into poor scientific reasoning when they support the liberal side of an argument, which agrees with what the liberal media have accepted and promoted? These same scientists want those with a conservative viewpoint to be able to prove their line of reasoning, and then often they dont even accept that. Forget that the proposed benefits of stem cell research may be as big a pipedream as cold fusion. Forget that there may be key fundamental problems with using fetal stem cells as opposed to stem cells from adults. You ask us to understand your feelings that you want this or that person cured. Why is it not okay for us to ask you to understand that some of us believe human life begins at conception, and that these fertilized eggs should be handled with utmost respect? Ken Matuszak Patent procedures online Matt Dowd Malarial surveillance Larry S. Roberts Authors reply: The statement cited refers to cases that were not related to people who had traveled to areas where malaria is endemic. Your point is noted, however, that malaria is still a large problem in the United States. Randall C. Willis Data points George Tritsch Editors reply: The reason you often see data as a singular as well as a plural noun is that many scientific publications consider the word to have become legitimate in both capacities. The ACS Style Guide, page 50, flatly states, Data can be a singular or plural noun, and gives the example, After the data is printed and distributed, we can meet to discuss it. (Refers to the whole collection of data as one unit.) Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed., has this to say on page 293: Data leads a life of its own quite independent of datum, of which it was originally the plural.
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