Cloning

[peadar1987]

What do people think about cloning here?

Is it acceptable to clone an extinct animal, were this possible, say a dodo, or a wooly mammoth, seeing as humans were heavily implicated in their extinction?

What about cloning for other purposes? Like endangered species of animal, or to create sources of human embryonic stem cells to treat disease?

 

[quatona]

What do people think about cloning here?

Is it acceptable to clone an extinct animal, were this possible, say a dodo, or a wooly mammoth,

I don´t feel it´s unacceptable - however, I can´t think of a good reason to do that right from the top of my head.

seeing as humans were heavily implicated in their extinction?

Sort of like a token of good will from one species to the other?
Nice idea, but doesn´t seem to make much practical sense to me.

What about cloning for other purposes? Like endangered species of animal,

If species are endangered due to human behaviour and if we put value in preserving these species, I would very much prefer to change the destructive behavour.

or to create sources of human embryonic stem cells to treat disease?

Sounds like a worthy cause to me, but I´m not sufficiently educated on the subject, the implications, the byproducts and dangers to form a conclusive opinion on it, sorry.

 

[serephim02]

Yes cloning is the single coolest thing you can possibly do with science save for gene splicing and time travel. If God didn't want you to do something that could easily cause dangerously funny amounts of drama then he would have said so yes? I want a cloned version of me now. Or a raptor. Or a spliced version of me and a raptor.

 

[Blackmarch]

What do people think about cloning here?

Is it acceptable to clone an extinct animal, were this possible, say a dodo, or a wooly mammoth, seeing as humans were heavily implicated in their extinction?

What about cloning for other purposes? Like endangered species of animal, or to create sources of human embryonic stem cells to treat disease?

I"d support it... however a great amount of caution shouild be exercised with it.

 

[david_x]

Super-cool, I wanna see these extinct animals in zoos.

 

[Belk]

I not only support cloning, I feel that we should be looking in to gene manipulation to create new and improved animals and humans.

 

[Blackmarch]

I not only support cloning, I feel that we should be looking in to gene manipulation to create new and improved animals and humans.

I agree the good and potential increase from such would out weigh the negatives.

However knowledge is always a two edged sword, so caution and temperence must be exercised at all times.

 

[Belk]

I agree the good and potential increase from such would out weigh the negatives.

However knowledge is always a two edged sword, so caution and temperence must be exercised at all times.

Oh, I am sure there will be missteps. We only learn after we fall, after all. Hopefully we wont screw up too badly.

 

[Chesterton]

If God didn't want you to do something that could easily cause dangerously funny amounts of drama then he would have said so yes?

I sort of agree. "Dangerously funny amounts of drama" pretty much descibes all human history, no?

 

[peadar1987]

I not only support cloning, I feel that we should be looking in to gene manipulation to create new and improved animals and humans.

I'm not sure about "new and improved" animals, as the effects they would have on the ecosystem could be pretty bad. More disease or drought resistant cattle would be good for sub-Saharan Africa, say, but creating a frog the size of a pickup truck just for the craic could end up being a little dodgy!

As for humans, I don't think genetic "improvements" are ethical. You'd end up with a stratified society where the rich would have been able to pay to improve their brain power, physical strength, and penis size, leaving the poor out in the cold, with no access to highly skilled jobs. I think human genetic engineering should focus solely on the prevention of disease.

 

[Belk]

I'm not sure about "new and improved" animals, as the effects they would have on the ecosystem could be pretty bad. More disease or drought resistant cattle would be good for sub-Saharan Africa, say, but creating a frog the size of a pickup truck just for the craic could end up being a little dodgy!

What do you think we are currently doing with engineered crops? Is the potential for abuse? Of course there is. As we progress we will have to come up with new ethical paradigms to cover the new situations.

As for humans, I don't think genetic "improvements" are ethical. You'd end up with a stratified society where the rich would have been able to pay to improve their brain power, physical strength, and penis size, leaving the poor out in the cold, with no access to highly skilled jobs. I think human genetic engineering should focus solely on the prevention of disease.

No, the rich could pay to have children with these things, it would be much more difficult to introduce those things into an already grown person.

As far as the poor being left out in the cold, I believe for the most part they already are. I see no reason to slow human progress (or leave it in the slow hands of normal evolution and selective pressure) simply because at some point someone is going to lose out.

 

[CShephard53]

What do people think about cloning here?

Is it acceptable to clone an extinct animal, were this possible, say a dodo, or a wooly mammoth, seeing as humans were heavily implicated in their extinction?

What about cloning for other purposes? Like endangered species of animal, or to create sources of human embryonic stem cells to treat disease?

As long as it doesn't involve cloning humans in any way, go for it. Genetic manipulation is a bit tricky, because you can enter into the realm of 'the perfect human'... and that can be dangerous as an idea.

 

[Blackmarch]

Oh, I am sure there will be missteps. We only learn after we fall, after all. Hopefully we wont screw up too badly.

yep