MadSci Network: Genetics
Query:

Re: How is the scientific community divided on the subject of cloning?

Date: Tue Oct 9 11:11:56 2001
Posted By: Jan Witkowski, Faculty. CSHL, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Area of science: Genetics
ID: 1002081842.Ge
Message:

Scientists are like any other group when it comes to issues like this - 
divided. I think it is true that most knowledgable scientists have few 
objections to cloning animals as the ethical issues are less 
influential. I think it is true that all knowledgable scientists are against 
cloning human beings for one or both of two reasons:

1) cloning of animals is very ineffecient and it is clear that many of 
those born have problems. On these grounds alone, no scientist 
would clone a human being.

2) the ethical issues require very serious consideration. Some 
scientists object on these grounds, others think that it would be fine 
to clone human beings with appropriate safeguards.

"scientists are adament about moving forward -even if that means 
continuing with a lack of knowledge about the entire realm of 
cloning."

This is, of course, a Catch-22 situation. Only by moving forward, will 
knowledge be gained, but moving forward requires doing things 
without full knowledge. But this is the way human beings have 
always learned about the world - by going forward cautiously, gaining 
a little new knowledge and using that as a basis for another small 
foray into the unknown. 


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