Cloning....Why clone anyway?

[RaggedyAnn]

Pets-nature versus nurture
Extinct animals-just look at what happens in the environment when people bring animals/plants to habitats that are not of origin
Cloning people-now I know there is a movie that addresses this issue and the slippery slope that exists (I just am drawing a blank at the moment)

[sjsoffer]

Originally Posted by RaggedyAnn

Pets-nature versus nurture
Extinct animals-just look at what happens in the environment when people bring animals/plants to habitats that are not of origin
Cloning people-now I know there is a movie that addresses this issue and the slippery slope that exists (I just am drawing a blank at the moment)

The Island?

[RaggedyAnn]

Yes, thank you!

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Let the record show that NOW I think cheerfulgreek is being picked on just for the helluvit. She was on an "it's because it's me" trip and folks are giving her what she paid for.

Yeah.....I peeped that too.

Ah well.

[PhiGam]

We need to clone Buster Posey.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

We need to clone Buster Posey.

Shoot, I'll second that, he's a cutie.

And if someone's taking clone requests, I can get started on my list, just let me know...

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

The lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, uh... staggers me. God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs...



I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're talking about here: it doesn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others have done and you want to take next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourself, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you're selling it, you want to sell it!!!!!!

lol lol omg!!! I loved that part! I liked the part after the T-Rex chase too, when he said "Was that part of the tour?" lol Jurassic Park..The best movie I've ever seen.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by wreckingcrew

I don't know about bring back extinct or endangered species, but I do think that cloning can serve a valuable purpose. I'd like to see cloning done specifically for the cloning of organs to serve those that need transplants. You can either clone their healthy organ or a healthy organ from another person that would be a donor match. I think if we get to the point that we can clone a healthy kidney for an individiual in need, or (and I don't know the feasibility of this) a healthy brainstem or spinal nerves for an individual that had injuried them, than we'd be well served to explore those options.

Kitso
KS 361

I couldn't agree with this post more. The only thing though is wouldn't we have to clone a human being in order to get the body parts 1st? That's the scary part if I'm thinking correctly. AKA_Monet and BigRedBeta where are you when I need you?

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Cloning opens up a big can of worms. For example, what rights would humans cloned for body parts have in relation to the rest of the population? How wouyld clonning be regulated, etc.

It could if people started taking it too far. At the moment, human reproductive cloning is banned in most countries that have any policy at all on the matter. I do think it's increasingly considered that any comprehensive ban on cloning restricts freedom, well..reproductive freedom I should say. The question I have is, isn't this considered to be kind of like a newly defined right, as far as human rights go?

I also think if it's regulated correctly, it would allow some couples to have children without risking passing on a genetic disorder carried by one parent. With what wreckingcrew said, I agree because it might appeal to some who hoped to have a new child who would be a compatible transplant donor for an older sibling who may need an organ. I know this is nuts, but I think if it's regulated the right way, it would theoretically allow parents to have another child with the same genetic make up as one who may have died prematurely. I mean, I understand that the child could never be a replacement, and the parents might would do better to just have another child the normal way. But at the same time, it doesn't necessarily mean that they couldn't take satisfaction from a cloned baby.

[AGDee]

Now you're talking about genetic engineering in addition to cloning. See the movie Gattaca to see the dangers of genetic engineering. There are, however, experts who predict we could live to be 1000 if they were cloning our organs. Every 40 or 50 years, you could just replace your parts, like we do on a car and you'd just keep going. Personally? I foresee even more problems with this idea like over population, quality of life/lifestyle, expense, etc. Personally, I think that having to work 50 years of my life is more than enough work for me. If I lived to be 1000, I'd probably have to work for 980 years of my life. No thanks!

[ree-Xi]

In terms of cloning PEOPLE for organs (a la "The Island), I think that is taking things too far. Unless we are talking cloning Ewan McGregor (a la "The Island"); I can make a case for that.

But creating new organs for the same person? On the surface, I can see that.

As far as living 1000 years, imagine how densely populated this place would be. I will settle for living a healthy full life, and going in my sleep.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

Actually, it would be very unlikely that a cloned pet would have the same personality traits as the original. If you do your research, you will find that many traits are developed by one's environment. Look at identical twins - nature's clones. Even though both may have certain proclivities, whether they are raised in the same household or not, they invariably have many differences.

For examples, my sisters, identical twins, took different roles on as children and thus as adults. One was two minutes older, and as a result was always called the "oldest". They competed over everything, yet one or the other would do better in practically everything they did: grades, sports, etc. One loved math, the other loved enlgish. One is a CEO, the other is a Social Worker.

An example about pets: You kitty might be a lap cat, but maybe that's because it was raised with lots of mommy and human contact. Your cloned kitty could likely be raised for the first month or so alone, with no mommy to teach her to do "cat things". She may not like to jump on your lap because perhaps she fell off something and is afraid of heights.

There are easily hundreds of falacies about cloning and genetics. Though most people think that it is a simple process, it's an extremely complicated theory with too many variables to imagine. Even with animals.


ETA: The ability to clone organs would theoretically be quite beneficial for humans, since there are already so many on transplant lists, and the potential and incidence of organ rejection is a huge risk. Having one's own genetic organ available could potentially solve a crisis that loses thousands of people a year to organ failure.

Wow...ya know, I didn't think about the environmental issues with cloning a pet. You're right. That makes sense. I guess attempts to clone animals could back up the idea that cloning isn't the most healthy way to start off life. Actually, this subject came up in one of my classes, with cloned animals, I read that at least the few that make it past the fetal stage, have been affected variously by enlarged organs, and problems with their immune system, joints and liver as well as obesity. I also agree with what you said about the problems in cloning, because some of the conditions are thought to be down to errors in the reprogramming of genes during the cloning procedure. Like you said it isn't that easy. I mean, like plants for example. People have been cloning plants for thousands of years. It's simple. You just take a leaf cutting from a plant and grow it into a new one. That's a form of cloning...I guess. Cloning animals is harder because with a few exceptions, most animals reproduce sexually, unlike plants, they need genetic information from both male and female.

I'm not sure if you remember, but a few years ago a lady paid 50 grand to some company in California to clone her pet cat, who died of old age. Well, anyway, after the cat was born, according to the owner, it was said to have exactly the same personality as the orignial.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Cloning pets and humans for random replication is dumb and a waste of humanity and science.

lol lol awww...DSTCHAOS why? C'mon. What about the social benefits of cloning? Like perpetuating the genetic qualities of outstanding people, or like what you said about helping research on human development.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Pure awesome. Well fucking played.

lol QUOTE OF THE YEAR!

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Now you're talking about genetic engineering in addition to cloning. See the movie Gattaca to see the dangers of genetic engineering. There are, however, experts who predict we could live to be 1000 if they were cloning our organs. Every 40 or 50 years, you could just replace your parts, like we do on a car and you'd just keep going. Personally? I foresee even more problems with this idea like over population, quality of life/lifestyle, expense, etc. Personally, I think that having to work 50 years of my life is more than enough work for me. If I lived to be 1000, I'd probably have to work for 980 years of my life. No thanks!

I haven't seen Gattaca before. Is it about extending human life? If it is, I'll rent it tonight. I agree with cloning to replace organs, but at the same time when we start living this long I think it starts getting into the "Playing God role."