America's brightest bioscience researchers are shutting down their labs and moving to "friendlier" grounds.  In a small effort to slow this talent outflow, Stanford recently launched the Institute for Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine with a $12 million private donation.  Because the work is funded with private money it is not against federal rulings prohibiting stem cell research. 

This is a nice gesture, but it fails to recognize what the Guardian points out, "that creationists, pro-lifers and conservatives now pose a serious threat to research and science teaching in the US."

As the biosciences rapidly advance, many long-held sacred beliefs are being challenged. Neurotechnology and the battle for your mind will only accentuate differences in religious driven legislation. 

Certain regions will choose not to take advantage of new knowledge, holding their respective moral ground.  Other geographies will go the other direction and become mecca's of bioscience exploration and development.

I'm still working through the logic behind my thinking, but it seems to me that monotheistic-based societies will likely have a harder time politically sorting through where they stand on these issues, slowing overall bioscience development in those regions.

Regions that are predominately polytheistic-based should have an easier time exploring the augmentation of the "natural" world.   Dana Blankenhorn seems to agree that if this holds some truth, look for places like Japan, China and India to become bioscience hotbeds with elaborately supported government funded research. 

On a positive note, it is good to see that today there is a U.S Senate hearing on brain science (thanks Sarah).