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Harvard Scientists to Clone Human Embryos

An anonymous reader writes "Harvard University scientists claim they will soon start trying to clone human embryos to create stem cells. Even with the history of controversy and fraud researchers hope they can one day use the newly created stem cells to aid in battle against many diseases. From the article: 'The privately funded work is aimed at devising treatments for such ailments as diabetes, Lou Gehrig's disease, sickle-cell anemia and leukemia. Harvard is only the second American university to announce its venture into the challenging, politically charged research field.'"

5 of 592 comments (clear)

  1. Controvesy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ever since some of us started looking into nature people have said, "you know, that's God's work, you shouldn't really been looking at it."

    Just a few years ago the Pope told Steven Hawking that though the Catholic Church believed in the theory of the big bang, what happened before that was the hand of God and not to be meddled into be humans.

    If we could rid ourselves of silly arbitrary superstitions great advancements in science will follow.

  2. Re:Is it worth it? by rolfwind · · Score: 5, Insightful

    After Nagisake and Hiroshima got atomic bombed, it provided a test bed for scientists on the effects of radiation poisoning and the aftereffects of the bomb.

    Should they have closed their eyes and ignored it because the atomic bomb was reprehensible?

    The scientist who study stemcells are much in the same position, they are not in the decision chain when a woman gets an abortion. I don't think stem cell research are the driving force why women do get abortions. But they happen.

    Should we close our eyes and pretend that the benefits doesn't exist? The future baby has already died. Don't let it die completely in vain.

  3. Re:does an embryo have a soul? by mapmaker · · Score: 5, Insightful
    But if there is...

    Then identical twins only have half a soul each.

  4. Re:Dodgy consequences by Fapestniegd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Then any form of payment for an abortion to a pregnant (or recently pregnant) woman should be what is illegal, not the science that comes after it.

  5. Re:Dodgy consequences by ElleyKitten · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They don't get stem cells from abortions. Or, at least not many. The vaste majority of stem cells come from fertility treatments. Doctors create dozens of embryos for infertile couples who only want one or two children. Yet, even the majority of extra embryos aren't used for science. Mostly, they're thrown away. Why? Because people think it's better to leave "their children" in storage until everyone forgets about them then donate them to science so they can help people.

    No one's ever going to make a career out of getting abortions for science. However, if you really believe life begins at conception, then you should be fighting against fertility treatments.

    --
    "What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.