See other All is Vanity Articles
Title: Mad Scientists Design Monster Men
Source:
LewRockwell
URL Source: [None]
Published: Aug 27, 2007
Author: Jo Revill
Post Date: 2007-08-27 07:11:17 by YertleTurtle
Keywords: None
Views: 556
Comments: 18
Britain's leading scientists have made a final plea for the right to create the first animal-human embryos for medical research using eggs taken from dead cows. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority will announce its decision next week on whether to give permission to UK laboratories to create the hybrid embryos to advance the understanding of genetic diseases. The issue is controversial because it involves scientists taking an animal egg, removing its genetic material and putting DNA from a human cell into it. This can be used to create lines of stem cells which can then be made part of studies into incurable genetic diseases such as motor neurone disease. However, it has caused controversy as some campaigners and religious groups argue that it is unethical to mix human and animal cells in this way. Dr Stephen Minger has applied for a licence to do work using hybrids, in order to understand more about a range of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and motor neurone disease. He said: 'I'm cautiously optimistic that the authority will allow us a licence. I hope we have made the case that by doing this research, we can study a number of genetic diseases far more clearly. The cell discoveries we make could then be used to develop therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's which affect so many people, but for which we now have almost no therapy to offer.' Minger, senior lecturer in stem cell biology at King's College London, believes it makes far more sense to use a hybrid than taking a human embryo, created using a human egg and sperm, because scientists could use eggs taken from ovaries of thousands of cows that are slaughtered every day. To do this work they would need a large number of embryos to make stem cells, far more than could be achieved by asking women to donate their eggs for research. Stem cells are immature cells that can be engineered to develop into many different kinds of tissue, which is important for medical research. 'When I start talking to people about it, sometime there is a "yuck factor" and they think it's weird,' said Minger. 'But once you've explained how it works, and why we are doing it, they do see the point of it, and actually think it's a good idea. 'To me, it seems just very practical to use the cows' eggs, as a by-product of a process [the animals' slaughter] that is already happening.' Another scientist, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of genetics at the National Institute of Medical Research in London, said: 'I can see absolutely no reason why these sorts of experiments shouldn't proceed. I think the scientists wishing to carry them out have made a very clear case for them.' The government recently shifted its position on animal-human hybrid embryos: having been initially against the concept, it is now proposing to allow partial hybrids, where a complete set of human genes is inserted into an animal's egg cell, for research purposes only, through a new Human Tissue and Embryo Bill aimed at overhauling the laws surrounding fertility treatment. The move has prompted strong protests from some religious and anti-abortion groups that oppose any such research. Anti-embryo campaigners had said earlier this year it was appalling that the government had, in their view, bowed to pressure from 'a random collection of self-interested scientists'. The Catholic Church has made clear its opposition. Bishops told the parliamentary committee scrutinising a draft bill to allow the research to go ahead, that they opposed the creation of any embryo solely for research - they believe that all life begins at conception. They said they were also anxious to limit the destruction of such life once it had been brought into existence. In a submission to the committee, they said: 'At the very least, embryos with a preponderance of human genes should be assumed to be embryonic human beings, and be treated accordingly.'
Poster Comment: When I read this the first thing I thought about was H.G. Wells' "The Island of Doctor Moreau," in which the good doctor created animal/human hybreds. They ultimately reverted to their bestial nature and killed the doctor. I don't trust this Mad Scientist combination of the military and corporations. Given enough time, they're going to stick animal DNA into us to create warriors, as was done in the movie, "Blade Runner." They'll also try to stick plugs into us, just like the Borg. And give us drugs, too, like in all of Richard K. Morgan's novels. Then they'll file our teeth down to razor-sharp points, as was done to the Killers in Spinrad's "The Men in the Jungle." I suspect the future is going to be weirder than even science-fiction writers can imagine.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
Animal-men. It can't hurt.
Heck, they can't even get the hairdos right.
Given that S-curves are empirically rampant in diffusion contexts, the situations in which individual-level, environmental learning overpowers biased cultural transmission to spread a beneficial trait must be relatively rare. Two possible explanations for this present themselves. One suggests that our database is somehow biased against these kinds of diffusions, so they only seem rare—somehow these kinds of diffusions are systematically omitted from study. The second explanation is that L (or more precisely d) is large—meaning that biased transmission is the predominate component of human cognition.
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)‡
Or the wrath of Khan.
Apparently you never saw the movie Blade Runner, or read the book it was based on did you? A replicant was an android, capable of passing for human, each designed with different capabilities, as well as behaviors. When they went against their programming, and wanted free will to live, a group of them killed their masters and came back to Earth. They were dispatched by a policeman, who was assigned to the task of finding these androids, and killing them. The original book was called "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick.
Dying for old bastards, and their old money, isn't my idea of freedom.
Aren't most men animals?
" Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy." - William S Burroughs
Get you're damned dirty ape words off my monitor!
" Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy." - William S Burroughs
Read the novel, saw the movie.
"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile."
Most men aren't therapy animals. They don't care to sit next to a female and start describing internal experiences. Most want a company, dinner followed by a BJ with the hope of a lasting experience. (where did this come from ?)
Actually I would agree with you there.
LOL! Sorry. I see my joke didn't go over too well. I think most men here no I love em and was just poking fun.
We need more creationist absolutists posting here, just to ask them about natural selection, blowjobs, and wooden ship construction.
" Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy." - William S Burroughs
Well, now that I've made it clear how I feel, I'd like to ask whoever it was getting thair damned dirty ape boots all over my front porch last winter, I'd like you not to do that this winter.
" Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy." - William S Burroughs
"Der Führer hat befohlen, wir werden ihm folgen!!!" ---Joseph Goebbels, Sportpalastrede, 18 February 1943, calling Germany to "Total War."
Then where in the world did you get the idea that they'd spliced humans and animals in Blade Runner?
Dying for old bastards, and their old money, isn't my idea of freedom.
Roy Batty -- wolf. Pris -- racoon. Deckard -- predatory fish, possibly shark. Leon -- turtle. Zhora -- snake.
"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile."
That may have been their allegorical personalities, but it had NOTHING to do with Gene Splicing. PERIOD.
Dying for old bastards, and their old money, isn't my idea of freedom.
#2. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
I suspect the future is going to be weirder than even science-fiction writers can imagine.
#3. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
#4. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
I've already said too much.
#5. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
#6. To: Jethro Tull (#1)
"every time government grows it is at the expense of personal liberty" - Ron Paul
#7. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
#8. To: farmfriend (#6)
Aren't most men animals?
#9. To: TommyTheMadArtist (#5)
Apparently you never saw the movie Blade Runner, or read the book it was based on did you?
#10. To: farmfriend (#6)
Aren't most men animals?
#11. To: Jethro Tull (#10)
Most want a company, dinner followed by a BJ with the hope of a lasting experience.
"every time government grows it is at the expense of personal liberty" - Ron Paul
#12. To: Dakmar, Jethro Tull (#8)
Get you're damned dirty ape words off my monitor!
"every time government grows it is at the expense of personal liberty" - Ron Paul
#13. To: Jethro Tull (#10)
#14. To: farmfriend (#12)
#15. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
Uruk-Hai
#16. To: YertleTurtle (#9)
#17. To: TommyTheMadArtist (#16)
Then where in the world did you get the idea that they'd spliced humans and animals in Blade Runner?
#18. To: YertleTurtle (#17)
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest