Human Cloning

[Force Flow]

What do think of it? Do you think it should be done or not?

[M. A. Dockter]

Although this is pushing close to a borderline topic, because quite obviously it's going to cause a bit of controversy due to it's relation to religion, this will remain open for the time being. I hope it remains a respectable discussion of the pros and cons and not some sort of propaganda match.

[Force Flow]

Ah. I didn't think about that connection.

[Xayd]

For it, for the purposes of organ transplant availability.

No way will there ever be enough organ donors to supply demand as transplants become more and more common.

[Nuclear Krusader]

I don't think it should be done.

The topic has been touched before, FF2K.

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?threadid=21671

[Eaglefeather]

Personally I don't have much of a problem with it as long as it does not replace natural insemination. Also, a cloned human would have to be treated exactly the same as any other human. I would not condone the of use a cloned human for spare parts. A human life is a human life.

Other than to add to Human Knowledge, I really do not understand why it is necessary to clone humans. The world is quickly becoming over populated from natural activites, cloning is not needed.

If we are talking about cloning a race of super humans, then I would withdraw all support. A race of super humans is not needed or wanted. We already have enough race's/people that think they are super human and look where that gets us.

[bailey]

its a good idea, cause if I had a second me, I could send him to work and I could play

[avx]

This is one of those conversations where the cons have pros, and the pros have cons...a tricky topic to say the least!

I am with eaglefeather when he says "a human life is a human life", even if he is just a clone, I wouldnt want the other me being treated like dirt or anyhting like that, and if he was anyhting like me, I dont think he would take it. But I also agree the need for "spare parts" is a very good idea, because it would save your life...but then again your using your clone as a meat wagon to just carry them around till you need them, so hes gonna live in fear his whole life that your gonna go and do something stupid and they are gonna need one of his lungs or something. Which brings up another point...people do stupid things without thinking all the time...you really want people doing stupider things cause they think "No big deal, the clone will fix me"??...Thats the last thing I think we need.

Cloning....I think I could only make my dicision based on a real life situation.

Now...If you want to talk about "gene splicing", buddy I am all for that!

[9600baud]

I think that they should do it just to say "Yes, we did it and its possible" but it certainly doesnt seem very useful after that... why have clones when every unique individual is much more valuable that way.

[homer15]

i am for it for the use of organ replication and similar tasks. i am, however, against cloning entire beings. besides the religous aspects (i know, i'm not the most religious guy, but sometimes it rears it's head), it's just unnatural. i'm sure that cloning will bring about a race of "super" beings, as well.

[pam123]

We could be worrying about an impossibility:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2936401.stm
Still there are surprises and it wasn't that long ago that cloning anything other than a frog was considered impossible.
I'm not expecting any superbeings until we get past this problem and figure out how to do gene splicing, and I don't mean goats whose milk contains spider silk protein either.
But there's another problem.
Assuming you could clone a bunch of Einsteins or even alot of Bill Gateses, what would you get?
Considering the convoluted path Albert followed, he's called the "last classical physicist" for a reason, why do you think you'd get a repeat?
As for Bill, you're talking about someone who grabbed his "square millimeter of chance" and got lucky. He could just as easily have dropped off the map, many have. This is not something you can clone for.
Unless you're prepared to believe that there is such a thing as a perfect human or that you can breed people for perfection ( all writers over here, all cooks over there, natural born executives, etc.)were talking possible nightmares, not reality.
As for cloning yourself and creating a child in your exact image, the earlier strictures still apply. More, genetics or not, the child is not you.
What you will have is the living, breathing proof that you have more money than sense.

[doctorgonzo]

There is absolutely no point to cloning an entire human. The only people I see wanting that are ignorant egotistical millionaires. Unfortunately, there are a few of those around, so I have no doubt whatsoever that it will occur. But to think that a clone will be like the original is laughable.

I have no problem, though, with cloning individual parts. Being able to grow heart or nerve tissue that will never be rejected because it is the same DNA will be a huge breakthrough in medicine. One can argue about whether medical breakthroughs like that are a good thing or not, however. I guess one can argue about anything; I know I can.

[homer15]

i think for the most part only pysically perfect beings can be created. the brain can be made larger than average, thus more apt to learn fast, but the person in generally would still be made up by its surroundings as it matured.

therefore, cloning a bunch of einsteins or gates will be useless unless you want a fat guy with weird hair, or a skinny guy with weird hair. they still have to grow up in a surrounding that would promote mental growth.

[pam123]

Okay Homer,
Physically perfect for what? And even more important, by whose definition?
You see the problem?
You wouldn't be raising "super"beings, you'd be breeding slaves.

[homer15]

exactly. it's an ethically issue, not a scientific issue when you think about it.

[pam123]

Lois McMaster Bujold, who writes the Vorkosigan series books, has one called Ceteganda. It came out in '96 so I'm not sure if it's still in print.
It's about a whole society that is a genetic's experiment ( it's also part murder mystery and all space opera and good fun)by it's own members on themselves. Almost.
It seems they do need test subjects, after all you can't have untried genetic combinations roaming around loose. So they have a created servant class of experiments.
Bujold based the society itself on Heian-Ko, Japan at the time Lady Murasaki wrote "The Tale of Genji".
It's a good story if you can get hold of it. Amazon may have it.