NationStates Jolt Archive

Do you think cloning technology could/should be used to create complete human beings? Why or why not?

Now? No. Stem Cell research is great, but there's a few bugs we need to work out.

Once it starts working better, why not? Assuming there's no lasting harm.

Do you think cloning technology could/should be used to create complete human beings? Why or why not?

This would be no different that making an identical twin. He is still a person.

I think one of my biggest concerns is the growing of 'support systems' to provide harvestable organs for transplants. It's things like this that REALLY have to be carefully controlled and prevented in the science of human cloning.

This would be no different that making an identical twin. He is still a person.

I think one of my biggest concerns is the growing of 'support systems' to provide harvestable organs for transplants. It's things like this that REALLY have to be carefully controlled and prevented in the science of human cloning.

Couldn't we just clone the organ? There's no need to clone an entire human being to get its kidneys...

I can't wait for someone to play the "Clones Have No Soul!" card. That'll be amusing.

we have too many people already created by traditional means
wtf would we want to make cloned people for?

we have too many people already created by traditional means
wtf would we want to make cloned people for?

My idea is that it would answer a lot of questions regarding psychological and physiological effects versus environmental effects. Whether something is innate in the human being, or if it's something caused by where/how the indvidual grew up.

Individual organs? Great, less worries about a shortage of donors.

A complete human? Uh...well...I'm not sure. There would have to be laws in place to prevent people from, say, making a clone army of themselves, and to prevent people from just making a new clone when they're about to die so they they "live forever". Plus the clone would probaly be different from the original person personality-wise(since I doubt that the clone could get the EXACT SAME upbrining), skill-wise, etc. so that'd lower to value of, say, cloning a famous person so that they can keep doing whatever they're famous for after they're gone. I'm kind of against cloning compelte humans, really.

My idea is that it would answer a lot of questions regarding psychological and physiological effects versus environmental effects. Whether something is innate in the human being, or if it's something caused by where/how the indvidual grew up.
those questions are already answered by studies of identical twins who have been reared in different homes. you'd be surprised how often that happens.

as for myself, i oppose any form of assisted reproduction, so i don't believe cloning should ever be made available as a means of having children. for research purposes it's fine, and for any purpose other than creating babies for an already over-populated world, but never for reproductive ends.

Reproductive cloning? No.

Theraputic cloning, maybe.
Sure, you'd be able to help a lot of people cure various ailments that would have caused in them a premature death, but you'd also possible have to deal with overpopulation problems later on.

They did a study one time of twins seperated one went to live in a trailer park, the other went and lived with a succesful doctor.

The twin that lived in the trailer park grew up to live in the trailer park, smoke, and work at a manufacters plant.

The other twin that lived with the succesful doctor ended going to medical school and becoming a doctor so it all depends on where you grow up.

Reproductive cloning? No.

Theraputic cloning, maybe.
Sure, you'd be able to help a lot of people cure various ailments that would have caused in them a premature death, but you'd also possible have to deal with overpopulation problems later on.

We would have to clone millons of millons of people for that to happen.

We would have to clone millons of millons of people for that to happen.

Repost: Reproductive cloning? No.

Repost: ..but you'd also possibly have to deal with overpopulation problems later on.

At least 200-450 years later because the whole population of the world could fit in Texas with like four people getting somewhere around 6,500 sq. ft.

At least 200-450 years later because the whole population of the world could fit in Texas with like four people getting somewhere around 6,500 sq. ft.
Agreed, yes.

However, I don't think this is a problem that would come up through the woodwork as a product cloning 'millions and millions' of people. Like I said, 'Reproductive cloning? No.'

Preventing said people from dying could cause the same problems-- but like you said, not for a long while.

I am personally aganist cloning of all kinds and will never support cloning but I was just saying overpopulation may not be a problem.

I'm up for cloning.

Not humans though. Too many moral and social complications - you guys go argue that out, i'm too lazy + sleepy. Not that overpopulation would be the problem.

However cloning organs I've no beef with them.

I was just saying overpopulation may not be a problem.
Not that overpopulation would be the problem.
You do realize that our planet is already over-populated, right?

As for cloning for reproduction, hell no.
For organ harvesting, hell no.
Infact... yeah... why bother cloning anyone at all?
It makes no sense.

Organs maybe, yeah.
There's no need to get stem cells from embryo's anymore, so hell no on that one too!

Some people seem to have the idea that when you 'clone' someone, you get an exact duplicate... but helloooo... the clone has to start from scratch. That means raising a baby for 18+ years until your clone is useful.

So as for the whole 'clone army idea'... doubtful... very... very... doubtful.
Sacrily... not impossible.
Cloning and genetic modification used together could produce some scary results. Maybe some good ones too. If we were to do that, we'd have to assume we knew what we were doing, and knew that the 'improvements' weren't just short-term miricales, but were beneficial in the long-term.

The only type of cloning that should be used should be theraputic cloning to reintroduce lost tissues to a body to speed or allow recovery.

Couldn't we just clone the organ? There's no need to clone an entire human being to get its kidneys...

I can't wait for someone to play the "Clones Have No Soul!" card. That'll be amusing.

How would go go about growing JUST a kidney?

Probably like growing an ear, but a little more complicated :cool:

How would go go about growing JUST a kidney?
that's a question with a very long answer, but i can give you a very very very watered down answer and you can telegram me if you want more of the specifics.

cloning a whole person is in some ways simpler than cloning an organ, because it uses the natural reproductive process of a human egg; the egg does a lot of the work for us, by guiding and prompting the development. however, it is also possible for us to take undifferentiated cells and induce them to take a certain developmental course.

when a human is normally developing, they begin as a single cell, and divide into more identical cells. all the cells have exactly the same information in them, but processes during development lead some cells to essentially pay attention to different parts of that information. even though your liver cells contain all the information that your lung cells do, they were directed to ignore lung-making information and pay attention to liver-making information on your DNA.

it is therefore possible for us to take undifferentiated cells and convince them their job is to become a liver or a kidney or some skin or whathaveyou. cells aren't smart on their own, they simply take direct very very well. if they get the chemical message telling them "it's kidney time, guys" then they will obey, and they won't (and can't) question where that chemical message came from.

of course, it's really a lot more complicated in practice, but that's a very simplified outline. it uses most of the same technology as full cloning, since you have to start a developmental process artificially but let it progress naturally, but it requires that we have information about the specific genes and chemicals that are crucial for building a particular organ.

How many people have seen "The Sixth Day" with Arnold Schwarzenegger?
The movie wasn't good, but it included the idea of cloning people, then implanting the memories of the origional person into the clone.

If such a thing could be possible, and you met your clone, who has all of your memories and thought patterns, what would you say? What could you say to basically yourself, that he/she wouldn't be thinking at that moment?
And would't it be wierd to meet yourself and find out everything about yourself that everyone else already knew?