An episode of CBS-TV’s mystery series Eleventh Hour entered the debate over stem cells to make a strong and valid scientific point with important moral and political implications. It did more to educate viewers about the issue than the network’s news programs have ever done.
In my recent essay on the CBS-TV series Eleventh Hour, I characterized the show as "a rather interesting program from the standpoint of the ideas it presents." An older episode I just viewed provides ample confirmation of that point.
In episode 12, "Eternal" (originally broadcast on January 29 of this year), FBI science advisor Jacob Hood and his minder/bodyguard/co-investigator Rachel Young look into the problems caused by a doctor who is stealing people’s stem cells in order to use them as youth treatments for wealthy people who want to look and feel younger.
The use of simple human vanity as a motive for activites that ultimately prove harmful not only to the self but also to others is a good moral point and true to life. These things do happen.
The science of the story seems even more farfetched than is usual for the show, but one aspect of the story stands out as impressively bold and true. Dr. Hood explains to Rachel about the difference between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells (which simply means nonembryonic stem cells and can include even umbilical cord blood). Hood notes that adult and umbilical stem cells are harvested without any loss of life, whereas embryonic stem cells involve killing a fetus. He also points out that over eighty conditions are already being successfully treated through the use of nonembryonic stem cells.
That brief dialogue exchange makes an important point that opponents of government funding of activities that kill embryos to harvest stem cells have been making but haven’t been able to get the mainstream news outlets to acknowledge: that there is no need at all to use embryonic stem cells when adult stem cells actually work (embryonic cells don’t) and don’t involve any loss of life.
Thus this fictional drama did more to educate viewers about the truth behind the stem cell controversy than the network news programs have ever done.
Eleventh Hour, "Eternal": Recommended
—S. T. Karnick
Good point, Lars. However, it’s also important for critics and audiences to show support for good work. Quite the dilemma here…..
Shhh! Let’s just keep it between the 2 of us, OK? Because if the network figures out something like this is going on under their noses, they’ll get the writers changed pronto.