Stirring the evolutionary pot... with a blender!

[VulcanRider]

Animal-Human Hybrids Spark Controversy Maryann Mott National Geographic News January 25, 2005 Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras-a hybrid creature that's part human, part animal. Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs. The embryos were reportedly the first human-animal chimeras successfully created. They were allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory dish before the scientists destroyed the embryos to harvest their stem cells. In Minnesota last year researchers at the Mayo Clinic created pigs with human blood flowing through their bodies. And at Stanford University in California an experiment might be done later this year to create mice with human brains. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n..._chimeras.html

Now I've got this image of Vincent Price's head on the body of a fly screaming Help meeeeee!! Help meeeee!! (from the original movie "The Fly", for you youngsters). On the plus side, the phrase hung like a horse takes on a whole new meaning...

Seriously, I can understand religious objections to this type of research -- that's a given. What about scientific/legal reasons? Like it or not, it is happening, and will continue. Opinions? Is this a great way to grow crops of donor organs for transplants? Would the human species be improved if some people had the strength of a gorilla, or the agility of a cat, or wings?

[spydar]

While I can see the value of cloning and gene splicing and stuff like that when it comes to curing disease, making nutrient rich food products (though franken-food is still borderline scary), and stuff, this kind of thing scares the crap outta me. Yes it's inevitable, and in all likelihood happening at this very moment, I think it is wholey and utterly wrong. I'm not religious, but where do we get off with screwing with nature like this? I think people who want to clone themselves are both horrendously ignorant and arrogant, and those who want to clone deceased loved ones and pets are just insanely stupid. it is NOT going to be the same person/pet! yes some of what makes you look/behave/think/feel they way you do is genetically encoded but a hell of a lot of it is also a matter of environment and life experience. what makes you think the world needs more of you around? and what about the clone? what rights do they have to living a normal life, the life that everyone is entitled to?

sorry about the rant, but this sorta thing scares, annoys, and infuriates me. but then again, you did ask for opinions

[Dace De'Briago]

If I wanted to experience the taste of human flesh without committing murder, could I order up a human heart that has been propagated by an animal host and consume it with no moral consequence?

After all, it would just be meat from an animal and therefore no different from any other meat.

Would anyone object to this? After all, I have as much right to pay for this genetic product as anyone else.

[spydar]

a) ew
b) why would you want to eat a heart of any critter?
c) ew
d) apparently humans taste like ham, num num [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[The Hierophant]

Excellent. Very good news. I find nothing abnormal about this. Humans are part of nature, not separate from it: anything our species does is part of natural life-sculpting processes. A life form is a life form is a life form, regardless of whether its characteristics have been defined by natural or laboratory selection.

Any abhorrence felt toward 'new' lifeforms created by these procedures would merely be a result of ignorance and skewed-minded prejudice. There is no set, static blueprint for life. I think it's important for contemporary moral prejudices regarding the 'sanctity' of the bodily form to be changed to accomodate the amazing possibilities that this research brings. We need to stop thinking of the bipedal, ten-fingers, ten-toes human as a 'sacred' construct. Anything goes. Any bodily shape and design is fair and valid game.

[ 01-27-2005, 11:11 PM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]

[Kakero]

I can imagine the creature break out of it's cage or whatever. Start attacking and killing every scientist and guards in the facility. Meanwhile some high ranking officials sent in some special squad to eliminate the problem.

uhh...I think I watch too much movies.

[The Hierophant]

Originally posted by spydar: b) why would you want to eat a heart of any critter?

Um... because you are hungry?

Heart is very rich and tasty meat (well, at least cow's heart is). The heart is just a muscle, like any other. Eating heart is not much different to eating a cut of rather tough, chewy steak.

[ 01-27-2005, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]

[SomeGuy]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: We need to stop thinking of the bipedal, ten-fingers, ten-toes human as a 'sacred' construct. Anything goes. Any bodily shape and design is fair and valid game.

But it IS a sacred construct, but that's a whole 'nother topic which I'm not allowed to bring up. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Anyway, you know, I think it's wrong and all, the cloning thing, because well, say we clone another human, they'll have the capability to think like us etc etc, what would prohibit them from realizing they're just another experiment, another shell? I know I wouldn't want to live knowing I was just a genetic experiment, no real family members, knowing there's a possibility that they'll clone something better than me and I'll just be obsilite. Etc etc.

[javan]

Quote
"And at Stanford University in California an experiment might be done later this
year to create mice with human brains."

Note from ACME labs:

Pinky,

I think they are on to us...


Sincerely,


The Brain


[img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[ 01-27-2005, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: javan ]

[The Hierophant]

Originally posted by SomeGuy: But it IS a sacred construct, but that's a whole 'nother topic which I'm not allowed to bring up. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

*sigh*
Yeah, ok, whatever man.

Anyway, you know, I think it's wrong and all, the cloning thing, because well, say we clone another human, they'll have the capability to think like us etc etc, what would prohibit them from realizing they're just another experiment, another shell? I know I wouldn't want to live knowing I was just a genetic experiment, no real family members, knowing there's a possibility that they'll clone something better than me and I'll just be obsilite. Etc etc.

That's you. You wouldn't survive well in that sort of world. Fine. You don't have to. But there will also be others who are not raised to value the same things as you (family ties, being 'wanted' by others etc) that would do quite well as laboratory-produced lifeforms. You assume that everyone is as emotionally needy and sensitive as you, when that simply isn't the case. And to hold back the possibilities that this technology brings simply because you are afraid of the unknown is quite simply a waste of potential.