just curious to hear what you all think about stem cell research. (for more info see http://www.stemcellresearchfoundation.org/ and http://www.stemcellresearch.org/ ... i completely understand where people are hesitant about it, as cloning of humans could be made possible. however, that's like saying that giving a police officer a gun will make them shoot people they don't like. just because it is a physical <i>possibility</i> doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. i am for stem-cell research, not only because it could personally affect me (one who has type 1 diabetes), but also because it could open the world for numerous other ailments, from spinal cord injury to Parkinson's to Alzheimer's to cancer ... how do you feeel about this very controveresial issue?

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I mentioned some of this in a previous topic, but didn't want to go into the details since it would have been off topic so I'll rant a bit here I recently did a research paper on this topic for a university course so I have done a healthy dose of research and took into account the various legal, moral, ethical, religious, etc issues involved.

Firstly I should point out that human cloning "is" possible. I mean, it is obviously not at a point where anyone would try it as there is a high probability of birth defects, low life expectancy, etc, but they -could- clone a human being right now (assuming no one has tried it can just covered it up thus far)

Now as far as non-full being cloning stem cell research is concerned I have to be in favor of it. It would allow victims of disease, accidents, etc to be saved. My gran mother has alzheimers and finding out some method could be devised to "fix" the cells in her brain that have become corrupt is something I can't ignore.

However some pretty big issues come into play. In order to perform the process an embryo must be created and used. Now the stem cells are removed under a certain time limit (which the scientists feel is before it is classifiable as 'life') but this doesn't mean everyone would believe that these embryo's are not yet living creatures. If one believed it to indeed be alive from day 1, this would entail the murder of human beings to save others. Creation for destruction. It is a decision that each must make for themselves in reality as no government sanction would truly say whether or not to agree with the choice.

Frankly, I unders tand that it could be considered creation for the sole purpose of harvesting and destruction, but in my opinion I believe their assumption that the embryo is not yet living is indeed correct. Also, the positives are too great to not outweigh the negatives. The ability to create any cell type, able to create made to order organs, to destroy the effect of numerous ailments... frankly I see that as something that must be explored.

On a side note : I AM howevere,. against actual human cloning. Made to order BABIES are a little too ethically intense for my taste. I can see the draw of them but at the same time thats just how I feel about it. So stem cell research yes, actual human cloning no.

If anything I said in this article is wrong please correct me... it has been a fair while since I did the research on this topic so I may have said a flawed fact. Also I'm at work and tired lol.

 

 

 

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Sperm Cell Research has some good and bad theroies on helping the fellow human life.

THE GOOD

You can use certain parts of the new life form and repair the current person (the client) to almost full capablities.

A great way to protect important people like the president.


THE BAD

You would be taking the life of an life form that is created.

The new life forms would be forced to do regular work like farming and factory work.

Would cause a new epic of prejudice among the new life forms and the normal life forms.

Will the new life forms unite and take over the world.

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While your "The Good" is accurate, and first "The bad" is accurate, the last 3 things you mentioned are virtually non-inclusive in this topic since those are pretty much solely about cloning full beings. It is also a controversial topic with pros and cons, but stem cell research and cloning are well differentiated. Stem cell research is allowed by law to some extent. Human cloning is banned in most developed countries.

Either way... I'd have to disagree with your second "The Bad" comment since if they tried to use clones as manual labour rights groups would fight them so the clones could lead 'normal lives' more then likely. Although prejudice is plausible...I can't see them uniting to attack non clones lol.

This is not meant as an attack against you BigmanB, I just disagree with alot of what you said.

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Yeah I definitely think stem cell research is required... The more we could learn about healing ourselves the closest we are to immortality.. haha...

Though we still have to research on preventing your body from deteriorating...

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They just need to perfect nanotechnology so that we can have a set of nanites constantly floating around our bodies repairing tissue as it begins to fail....obviously...lol

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I'm not exactly sure where I stand on this issue.

In one hand, you've got technology that could cure sickness. Maybe even terminal illnesses like cancer. If that happens, people would live a longer and healthier life. It could benefit people greatly.

On the other hand, you've got the ability to clone a full human being. This is the part that I would have an issue with. I think everyone on this earth is unique and it should remain that way. I don't think that there should be a clone of anyone, even if the child or person is killed at a young age and the parents want their child back. I'm not sure entirely how possible that would be, but from a movie I saw a while back (which I can't remember the name of), the parent's child is killed and they have him cloned. However, the doctor uses the parent's request to make an experiment of his own and the child that he clones has memories from who he used to be before he died and becomes dangerous. I'm not sure that's exactly how the movie went since I haven't seen it in such a long time, but the point I'm getting at is that I think children should remain unique, and if a child is cloned, what happens if something goes wrong?

I think the breakthrough in science and medicine can bring great things, I hope it all goes well without much controversy over it.

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According to our knowledge, even if you make a genetic clone, that does not mean you make a PERSONAL clone. Their personality will be different. That said, genetics DO influence personality, rather strongly. But, not strong enough to be the dominant factor most of the time. Cloning is really fine, but I think people worry about it to much. That we might be able to do it really doesn't matter as much as WHY we would do it. The comment about parents cloning their baby is one reason, but there aren't a whole lot of others, even militarily. A clone takes as much time to grow as a non clone human, and an "army of clones" would be easily defeated by a man made virus that preys on that specific genetic structure. Making a clone army would actually be disadvantageous (but gene manipulation on a smaller scale would probably have significant payoffs).

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researching is definitely going to bring benifits as well as downsides..

what we can do is actually to maximise the use of such benefits

brought about by researching.. and save lives.. the downside can

actually be minimise through government regulations and law

enforcement..



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As I mentioned, cloning technology does "exist" to some definition already. I mean, they could in essence create a clone. It may not live long but they have the required tech to try if they were sanctioned to do so. I figure if they already have opened pandoras box to some extent, they may as well benefit from it if possible

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