Baby making cocktails need to be flushed
Men making babies with other men. That’s right, the science is almost here. No adoptions or serious choices about who gets to be the biological father. I’m talking Ted and Ed are having a baby. Their baby! Together!I learned from Wired News that scientists have found a way to manipulate the cloning process so that it can be used to make embryos artificially. Based on this "science," there's no need for the simplicity of just one egg and just one sperm. (click image for full view)
There are some things science should leave alone.
The natural reproduction process is sacred and complicated. There should be no deviation from the original plan: a male sperm fertilizes a female egg, and each must come directly from its original owner.
I realize there are many variations of the reproduction process in current practice. And, I wholeheartedly support them. Surrogates and in vitro fertilization have helped many couples have babies biologically. I support those practices because they adhere to the original plan of female egg, male sperm, and original owner. No tampering.
When you introduce the cloning process to reproduction, you are removing the natural, synchronized formula of baby making. Think about it. What’s more artistic and romantic? A tiny, legless sperm swimming in the race of its life, facing danger at every turn, trying to beat all the other wiggly sperms to finally reach that ellusive ovum? Or, extraction of a donated egg, removal of the nucleus, insertion of skin cells, cultivation, more extraction, coaxing generously to convince cells to be human, insemination of new “human” egg, and pop in the oven for ahhh maybe nine months? It’s apparent that God’s scheme is more lovely than ours.
Although in vitro 86s the romantic journey of sperm to egg, it still holds the fundamentals of conception and offers people the opportunity for a happy ending. This psuedo cloning process, however, is an attempt to reinvent the process entirely. The result is not human. I doubt gay couples are going to be biting at the nub to purchase a non-human biological baby (that phrase doesn't ring properly, does it?). So, I suggest those scientists take off their gloves and pick up a couple cans of Playdough.
posted by tanagrame @ 1:09 PM
6 Comments:
Golly, you've been away longer than me!
You know, I just wish they'd cure cancer. Doesn't that seem easier to figure out?
Damn I wish I'd forced myself through more science.
"coaxing generously to convince cells to be human"
...if you need to coax or convince something to be human, well then that is not human by definition.
Yesterday's Science Fiction is Today's Reality...
"...if you need to coax or convince something to be human, well then that is not human by definition."
I can think of a few people this quote would apply to!
I am not a huge fan of this technology simply based on the fact that we need fewer breeders, and more people willing to go get their babies from the local Humane Society. Why spend so much on a designer baby when there are so many siiting at the shelter, wiating to go home!?!?
Hear, hear!! Besides all the ethical questions this issues brings to light, there is no better reason to diss further research than the mere fact that many, many babies are waiting to be adopted.
I just read in Newsweek that the use of IVF is down significantly and that the average age for use has shifted from the early 30s (when the boomers where taking full advantage of the application)to the early 40s. Fertility experts conclude that Gen Xers are either delaying child rearing or just aren't keen on or capable of spending the bucks for IVF, which costs on average K10 a shot.
I am not too much scared about the ethics of this because ethics and morality can vary from person to person and who am I to force my ethical beliefs on others.
That said - what bothers me about this is the fact that we're opening a box that we don't know the contents of. Where does this all lead?
Isn't this whole thing just one step closer to making humans produce?
Yep...cabbage patch kids.
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