Even scarier

The plasticity of DNA will continue to be a source of fear for the people who oppose stem cell research. This breakthrough, if it actually helps allay fears over research, will only help temporarily.

If a scientist can turn a skin cell into something indistinguishable from a fetal stem cell, can she turn skin into a fetus next? When those who resist biological research cotton onto this - and they will, they'll be moving toward a complete ban on manipulation of human DNA by any means. No delivery of gene therapy by infection, ah, inoculation with a virus to deliver the repaired gene. No cancer treatments that change the operation of somatic cells, turning up genetic repair mechanisms or turning them off, as required. No gene therapy at all. If God made your genes fail, that's your fate.

It is a scary world, no doubting that. If the past is any guide, our children will see things that would give even me the willies. But, otherwise, we stop and accept the things that kill us simply because they are already familiar.