BTT, I was hoping Tetra and Doogie would weigh in here, and all the other brainiacs. Edited to add: Unless this is a pitifully stupid thread, then ignore.
The Dangers and Morality of Science
by Big Dog 43 Replies latest social current
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Big Dog
Nark, forgot to mention, very cool quote.
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heathen
Does the good really out weigh the bad?
I think all in all I would have to say yes . I don't fear death so to me whether or not the species blows itself to exstinction doesn't even matter to me . It's obvious tho we can live without cloning but I can't help wondering if it's possible . My belief is that most people are soul less freaks anyway so one more wouldn't matter anyway . Science though is more interested in growing human organs for transplant I think. At this point I don't think we could exist without science .
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kid-A
I see no problem with human cloning as long as it is properly regulated. Imagine if we developed the capacity to clone only "specific" organs, or create "headless bodies" that were exact duplicats of ourselves genetically? We would essentially have access to a "spare" parts factory whenever one of our organ systems started breaking down. A clone, does not have to have "sentience" or consciousness, and therefore, no human rights.
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Big Dog
Kid A, specific organs, no problem, headless bodies starts to creep me out, and you just know that they are going to clone a full human being. I can just see a legal and ethical quagmire when they do that one.
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kid-A
BD,
Its a remote possibility, but of course, even a full clone would not be the same person in terms of personality, only genetically and biologically. The image of headless bodies is a little creepy but considering the possibility for saving so many lives, its seems less unsavoury to me. Besides, they would keep your headless clone locked up in a warehouse somewhere...you wouldnt even ever have to see it !! LOL, just have the professionals harvest it's organs when you needed them!
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Big Dog
Kid, but what if they do clone a person? Who are they a ward of, the state? the lab that grew them? Do they have rights like gestated humans or are they seen as something else? I just see lots of scary scenarios that have been the fodder of sci fi novels and movies playing themselves out.
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OldSoul
My wife and I hope they start allowing clones. I mean, can you imagine? It wouldn't even be polygamy, it would be me, and me, and me, and her, and her, and her.
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Big Dog
Old Soul,
I'd probably hate myself and want me dead. Would it be homocide or suicide with a clone?
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kid-A
Kid, but what if they do clone a person? Who are they a ward of, the state?
I imagine it would just be a highly profitable private enterprise. If it is your clone, you have exclusive rights to your own genome and all the organs harvested from your clone. You would pay the private corporation for "growing" the clone (presumably we could develop an accelerated growth process). A headless body would lack any rights or protections as they would technically not have any conciousness, personality, would feel no pain due to know brain, all vital functions would be controlled artificially, hence the expensiveness of maintaining your own personal "cloned headless body". I dont see any need for the state to get involved if we are talking about headless bodies, without any human rights, consciousness, or feelings.
This of course does raise an ethical question, because certainly only the very rich would be able to pay for this, at least initially.