Author Topic: Morality of Cloning Extinct Species Etc. (Read 4295 times)

Nordic Superman · « **on:** November 28, 2008, 02:37:10 AM »

Believe it or not, the technology to clone extinct species is in our possession thanks to advancements in genetic engineering, the extraction of DNA from extinct animals, and species alive today that are close enough to be incubators. The animals possible for cloning are ice age species, particularly the ones frozen in ice with minimal damage to their genetic material.

Japanese scientists have created a procedure that can compose broken DNA at 40,000 locations on the DNA of an individual, during each offspring cycle. To clone a Woolly Mammoth, that means about 10 generations and this process would produce a "Woolly Mammoth". The procedure is only good for recently extinct species, our cousins the Neanderthals being another possibility. Of course, a human mother would be required to incubate the cloned embryo.

What do you think about the morality of this? I for one am excited at the possibility, and if I had the "GO!" button I'd press it straight away.

Also, with current technologies, past Genius's like Einstein etc. could be cloned. Of course there are more problems here, but maybe Russia etc. might one day contemplate acquiring a batch of Einsteins DNA as to clone him.

Nordic Superman · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2008, 05:55:48 AM »

Procreation was given to us, it's not a choice.

Yes, the awesome factor hopes they do this sooner rather than later.

Migs · « **Reply #2 on:** November 28, 2008, 09:53:44 AM »

i say run with it.

Camel Jockey · « **Reply #3 on:** November 28, 2008, 10:21:10 AM »

I'm all for technology helping to cure diseases, but cloning I'm not sure about.

Might bring back a person, but they wouldn't be the same, and there would just be an awkwardness about it.

Nordic Superman · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2008, 10:22:06 AM »

Quote from: Camel Jockey on November 28, 2008, 10:21:10 AM

I'm all for technology helping to cure diseases, but cloning I'm not sure about.

Might bring back a person, but they wouldn't be the same, and there would just be an awkwardness about it.

Fuck the people, who wouldn't want to see a living Woolly Mammoth or Sabre Tooth Tiger?

Camel Jockey · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2008, 10:36:07 AM »

Quote from: Nordic Superman on November 28, 2008, 10:22:06 AM

Fuck the people, who wouldn't want to see a living Woolly Mammoth or Sabre Tooth Tiger?

I guess you're right then. Man supposedly had a big part in driving the mammoth to extinction, so maybe we could wash our hands clean a bit by bringing them back and introducing small herds in rural places where they once lived. I mean imagine going to Alaska and seeing those beautiful creatures roam about.

No Sabre Toothed Tiger though. I mean it went, and it should stay like that. We should do it shit like Dodo birds and stuff that we killed off.

240 is Back · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2008, 11:25:03 AM »

Quote from: Camel Jockey on November 28, 2008, 10:36:07 AM

I mean imagine going to Alaska and seeing those beautiful creatures roam about.

Imagine Alaska's governor offering $150 per paw for every wolly mammoth you can cap from a helicopter.

Deicide · « **Reply #7 on:** November 28, 2008, 11:58:30 AM »

Wooly Mammoth Burgers...mmmm

BayGBM · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2008, 06:57:13 AM »

Quote from: Nordic Superman on November 28, 2008, 02:37:10 AM

What do you think about the morality of this? I for one am excited at the possibility, and if I had the "GO!" button I'd press it straight away.

Also, with current technologies, past Genius's like Einstein etc. could be cloned. Of course there are more problems here, but maybe Russia etc. might one day contemplate acquiring a batch of Einsteins DNA as to clone him.

This is completely false! What you are describing is still very much in the realm of science fiction. If you routinely interacted with the academics and researchers in private industry engaged in this kind of work, you would not be spreading such falsities. Less Hollywood and more academic journals will cure you of such notions.

Yes, we are able to clone several species of live animals, but cloning extinct animals and humans (live or dead) is still some time off.

Rimbaud · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2008, 07:02:38 AM »

Quote from: 240 is Back on November 28, 2008, 11:25:03 AM

Imagine Alaska's governor offering $150 per paw for every wolly mammoth you can cap from a helicopter.

Dos Equis · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2008, 10:39:05 AM »

Wouldn't this be contrary to natural selection?

Deicide · « **Reply #11 on:** November 30, 2008, 03:40:31 PM »

Quote from: Beach Bum on November 30, 2008, 10:39:05 AM

Wouldn't this be contrary to natural selection?

Dude, you really have no clue about Evolution do you?

Dos Equis · « **Reply #12 on:** November 30, 2008, 03:53:00 PM »

Quote from: Deicide on November 30, 2008, 03:40:31 PM

Dude, you really have no clue about Evolution do you?

Thanks Troll.

Straw Man · « **Reply #13 on:** November 30, 2008, 04:09:00 PM »

Didn't God make Eve from Adams rib?

That's kind of like cloning isn't it?

240 is Back · « **Reply #14 on:** November 30, 2008, 04:11:12 PM »

Quote from: Beach Bum on November 30, 2008, 10:39:05 AM

Wouldn't this be contrary to natural selection?

Humans have already eliminited Natural Selection, for the most part.

We have habitats for engangered animals, and welfare for endangered humans.

Straw Man · « **Reply #15 on:** November 30, 2008, 04:12:57 PM »

Quote from: 240 is Back on November 30, 2008, 04:11:12 PM

Humans have already eliminited Natural Selection, for the most part.

We have habitats for engangered animals, and welfare for endangered humans.

have you ever heard the phrase "Nature always bats last"?

Deicide · « **Reply #16 on:** November 30, 2008, 04:17:20 PM »

Quote from: Beach Bum on November 30, 2008, 03:53:00 PM

Thanks Troll.

Not a troll Beach Buffoon, you just revealed how idiotic you are with that statement; wouldn't it go against natural selection...what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Dos Equis · « **Reply #17 on:** November 30, 2008, 04:19:50 PM »

Quote from: Deicide on November 30, 2008, 04:17:20 PM

Not a troll Beach Buffoon, you just revealed how idiotic you are with that statement; wouldn't it go against natural selection...what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Scram Troll.

Deicide · « **Reply #18 on:** November 30, 2008, 04:21:16 PM »

Quote from: Beach Bum on November 30, 2008, 04:19:50 PM

Scram Troll.

No understanding of evolution.

Nordic Superman · « **Reply #19 on:** December 01, 2008, 01:26:54 AM »

Quote from: 240 is Back on November 30, 2008, 04:11:12 PM

Humans have already eliminited Natural Selection, for the most part.

Haha, OK mate.

Natural selection is eternal. It's currently on hiatus in regards to natural selection on western populations, but even then it's biding its time.

loco · « **Reply #20 on:** December 01, 2008, 06:27:22 AM »

Muhammad will be cloned.

Straw Man · « **Reply #21 on:** December 01, 2008, 06:32:03 AM »

Quote from: loco on December 01, 2008, 06:27:22 AM

Muhammad will be cloned.

those nutbags can't even make an image of "the prophet" so it's not likely they'll be making an replicant anytime soon. Plus, their society has been going backwards since the beginning of their religion so at this rate they're more likely to forget how to make fire before they learn how to clone.

loco · « **Reply #22 on:** December 01, 2008, 06:47:46 AM »

Quote from: Straw Man on December 01, 2008, 06:32:03 AM

those nutbags can't even make an image of "the prophet" so it's not likely they'll be making an replicant anytime soon. Plus, their society has been going backwards since the beginning of their religion so at this rate they're more likely to forget how to make fire before they learn how to clone.

Good point!

headhuntersix · « **Reply #23 on:** December 01, 2008, 07:13:41 AM »

Who wouldn't want to see a fuzzy elephant stomping around.

BayGBM · « **Reply #24 on:** December 01, 2008, 12:12:19 PM »

About ten years ago, a fully formed woolly mammoth calf was found frozen in the Siberian permafrost. The scientific community was excited by this find because up until then they had only found fragments and bones from mammoths and from there extrapolated its size, dimension, and other details. Actual tissue was almost never found.

I followed this story for some time in the press until it fell of the radar screen... Apparently, a huge block of ice containing the fully preserved and frozen mammoth was carved out of the ground and shipped to an underground lab (essentially a giant freezer) for testing. Most of the mammoth remains frozen in the huge block of ice; they have been very careful about keeping most of it preserved. I once read they used a hair dryer to thaw out one small portion of the block of ice to take tissue samples from the mammoth.

A few months after this discovery, a rogue scientist said he was going to clone the mammoth using tissue samples and modern day elephants to carry the clone(s) to term! Ethicists slammed the idea, but he said he was going to do it anyway--in a secret lab if necessary--and no one was going to stop him!

Ten years later there is still no clone.

For now, the DNA in tissue samples that old and that frozen are too damaged for us to make use of them. That may change in the years ahead, but don’t hold your breath waiting for a cloned woolly mammoth or a clone of any other extinct species.