Green Light for Human/Animal Hybrids

Henneshoe writes "BBC News is reporting that two research facilities have been given the green light to create part human, part animal embryos. According the the report, 'Scientists want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs in a bid to extract stem cells. The embryos would then be destroyed within 14 days.' The decision to allow the embryos was made after research showed that people in large are OK with the idea."

Comments

Re:people in large are OK

[0p7imu5_P2im3]

I can't really imagine why I'd have a problem with growing cells from a human that way vs. previous experiments that have cultured human cells in a stand-alone environment.

The only thing changed by using a live pre-embryonic cell from an animal is that you now has a slightly higher success rate. If allowed to continue to adulthood, the resulting adult would be just as human as you (assuming you are) or I (pretty sure I am).

This is a classic case of wolf in sheep's clothing, only reversed. No matter what you do with human cloning, so long as the DNA is decidedly human, a human is killed when "embryos would then be destroyed. [FTA]"

Note that it takes a large change to make a set of DNA inhuman. The differences between your DNA and mine are many small differences, however the differences between a monkey's DNA and ours constitute an order of magnitude (perhaps even 2 or 3) greater number of differences.

Re:Green light for animal cruelty

[Antiocheian]

Because 14-day-old embryos have such well-developed nervous systems that they can appreciate (nevermind even "experience") pain?

So, it is not cruel when one does not "appreciate" or "experience" pain? You could then sedate a person to the point of being incapable of doing either in order to morally kill them?

But the goddamned fundies don't seem inclined to let us use the numerous extra embryos from human fertility therapies

I wish you were such an embryo.

I for one welcome...

[thrill12]

...our new Kwisatz Haderach