Science is Not Relative

In a recent essay bemoaning the loss of psychology in favor of what he considers an overly biologically deterministic psychiatry, Richard C. Morias, a senior editor at Forbes, confesses a "vague suspicion" that "21st century America is ... suffering from an unhealthy obsession with science and technology."¹ Certainly, it's difficult to escape from coverage of these issues. Morias' is an intriguing and provocative thesis, but sadly, his claimed obsession is just a loud idle burbling rather than a true understanding of the science.

Take the recent creation of stem cells through cloning adult cells instead of creating embryos. The Korean research team's publication in Science² provoked endless comment, from enthusiastic commendation to vehement condemnation. But almost none of the reaction focused on the research itself. Instead it was packaged as a personal experience: In the words of Morias' cherished psychologists, "how does human cloning make you feel?"

There's an infatuation ...