AR on cloning

Cloning -- from back issues of Apologia Report

BIOETHICS

"On Cloning Humans, 'Never' Turns Swiftly Into 'Why Not'" by Gina Kolata -- "In the hubbub that ensued [after 'Dolly' became known], scientist after scientist and ethicist after ethicist declared that Dolly should not conjure up fears of a Brave New World. There would be no interest in using the technology to clone people, they said.

"They are already being proved wrong. There has been an enormous change in attitudes in just a few months; scientists have become sanguine about the notion of cloning and, in particular, cloning a human being.

"Some infertility centers that said last spring they would never clone now say they are considering it. A handful of fertility centers are conducting experiments with human eggs that lay the groundwork for cloning. Moreover, the Federal Government is supporting new research on the cloning of monkeys, encouraging scientists to perfect techniques that could easily be transferred to humans. Ultimately, scientists expect cloning to be combined with genetic enhancement, adding genes to give desired traits, which was the fundamental reason cloning was studied in animal research.

"Although a presidential ethics commission has recommended a limited ban on cloning humans, only California has enacted a law making it illegal, and those who are intrigued by the idea argue that it is no worse, morally, than creating custom embryos from sperm and egg donors. After all, it is an American tradition to allow people the freedom to reproduce any way they like." Notes that "research that lays the groundwork for cloning humans is proceeding rapidly." New York Times, Dec 2 '97, pA1.

(from Apologia Report 2:41 -- December 15, 1997)

"Cloning" -- Last week National Public Radio (NPR) science correspondent Joe Palca interviewed Chicago-area scientist Richard Seed, founder of the Human Clone Clinic. Palca's report emphasized how strongly intent Seed is on cloning humans. "[Seed] believes that there is a moral imperative to proceeding with cloning." Seed's low and distant voice was heard: "God made man in his own image. God intended for man to become one with God. We are going to become one with God. We are going to have almost as much knowledge and almost as much power as God. Cloning and the reprogramming of DNA is the first serious step in becoming one with God." All Things Considered, Jan 7 '98. See <http://www.npr.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb?getdoc+npr+npr+16647+16+wAAA+seed> for the "RealAudio" segment.

(from Apologia Report 3:2 -- January 12, 1998)

"Cloning's Kevorkian" by J. Madeleine Nash -- a profile (with photo) on Richard Seed, the "eccentric physicist" who is out to clone humans. Quotes a CNN interview in which Seed says, "Man will develop the technology and the science and the capability to have an indefinite life span." Time, Jan 19 '98, p58.

(from Apologia Report 3:3 -- January 19, 1998)

"The Case for Cloning" by J. Madeleine Nash -- argues "the benefits of this bold technique outweigh the risks, and the danger is not what you think." Nash envisions the early harvesting of "embryonic clones" from culture dishes for medical use before they "have grown into a fetus," while the ethical dangers "everyone's talking about" receive only passing reference. Time, Feb 9 '98, p81.

(from Apologia Report 3:6 -- February 9, 1998)