| Questions
and Answers on cloning and the genetic revolution
How human clones
are made - will human clones be born? Web TV
More recent e-mails on Human
Cloning and other issues to Dr Patrick Dixon - and his replies
Here are some more of the many e-mails received on
human cloning and other issues.I have kept strictly to my promise
that all human cloning e-mails are 'anonymised' and unedited
except.
Full
text of The Genetic Revolution - by Dr Patrick Dixon
Q: What about cloning extinct animals eg dinosaurs:
What are the possibilties of there being a 'real' Jurassic Park?
If scientist have access to preserved DNA, can they clone a dinosaur,
or at least an animal that has been extinct for many years? If you
can, please respond to gringo@hot-shot.com
A: If DNA is intact it can be used - but remember
that in old remains there may only be fragments and they would need
to be added to an existing species. We don't have DNA from dinosaurs.
For latest on this see http://www.globalchange.com/clonenews.htm.
Q: Can you clone my dead nephew? Dear Dr. Dixon:We
are very proud of your inventions, and we kindly ask you if you
can help us? The issue is : if you could ever have a possibility
cloning a dead kid, who died only one week ago, actually he is my
nephew, he died in car accident when he was with his mum, so my
sister is desperately in the need of getting him back at any cost.
Please, if you can help us know some information about, the process
of cloning, and how does it happen, and in which country will the
operation take place. Bearing in mind that we are lebanese, that
means we are in the middle-east. Waiting for your kind answer
A: Thank you. I am so sorry to hear of
the death of your nephew. Sadly no cloning can ever bring
him back - even if possible. Even more important perhaps It is very
dangerous - huge risk of a mutation and also of emotional risk to
the child - and I am against attempts to do it. See human
cloning risks.
Q: Morality of eating humanised animals etc?
I read your article online regarding human genes in
genetically altered foods and thought it pretty interesting. The
philosophical and moral implications are especially interesting,
of course, and a few things occurred me while reading your article
and which I would like to get your opinion about.
Let us say that a new kind of food, particularly flesh,
could self-grown in a laboratory, and which consisted of 50% human
genetic material. Would it not be less immoral to eat this
food, than, say, a real cow, which however, as a complete animal
with a nervous system a consciousness (however inferior to ours)
had to be slaughtered? Surely it is more humane to survive
on something that never had any sensibility?
Let us take this a step further. Let us say
that scientists could "grow" human bodies without heads and a central
nervous system. Are these bodies still human? If so,
"human" becomes only a matter of form, of the configuration of body,
and not of what people generally regard as distinguishing us from
other animals, namely our "souls," the exalted character of
which (by and large) is our justification for considering ourselves
so high above the rest of animal creation that we can use them for
food. In this case, the, the animal would be "more human"
than the human body, -- wouldn't it?What do you think about this?
A: These are very complex issues. How many human
genes does an animal have to have to win human rights? What
is it that makes us human? Instinctively I am very uneasy
about attempts to blur the distinction between animals and humans
and repulsed by the idea of deliberately growing headless human
clones. And in your example why not go the whole way and just
grow human tissue for eating? No thanks - no way! I
don't want to be a cannibal, nor a 50% cannibal by eating flesh
grown in the lab or factory that is "only" 50% human genetically.
For more see
Headless humans clones will grow organs in ten years - Video,
Human cloning from cow eggs
and human cells, Videos
on this site,
Designer life - Gene Charter - by Dr Patrick Dixon, Global Change
Ltd,
The Genetic Revolution - Chapter 3: Strange foods in a new world
- by Dr Patrick Dixon.
Q: I would like to clone 500 kids 2.5 metres
high.I would like to enter in contact with you through this line
regarding my dreams in/about clonning, more or less, 500 kids with
about 2,50 meters hight, if possible in the Northern Territory or
in Australia.Could you provide enough information regarding this
scientific dream. Theboys must posses a good and healthy genetical
constitution so they will be able to face all kinds of deseases
related with the incapacity of the bad genetical constitution. If
possible the boys must be lean, that is, zero fat and good muscles
condition to involve in bodybuilding program in the future. The
IQ (intelligence quotient) level must be the highest,in our planet.
THe memory must be very as camera, that is, having a photographic
memory. The capacity of hearing the comming of cars or horsess from
long distances), seeing (including at night/in the dark), smelling,
tasting, etc, that is everything important to the military world,
police world etc. If succeded the kids will be trained to helpme
to lead or set up my dreaming empire in which justice will triumph.
I will be very happy in providing more new and personal ideas about
the clonning, in case it can be done. I will be very grateful if
we can start it next comming school holidays. But, I would like
to let you know that finnacilally I am totally broke, unless I or
you could indicate me someone to support the realization of this
dream that might sound impossible or stupid for certain people.
In case, there is any obstacle regarding this dream,for instance,
any injustice or act against the law, then, your cooperation in
providing information regarding this fascist dream resulted from
a mere positive thinking will be very appreciated. With compliments,
I remain anxiuoslly in receiving your kind, cooperative and honest
answer.For the development of science in our planet,
A: Most readers of your message will assume
you wrote as a joke, but the reality is that you ae not alone in
wanting this kind of thing. However I am totally against it.
Even of it were safe, what about the welfare of the children?
See Should we ban human cloning?
and The Genetic Revolution
- Chapter 3: Human cloning - by Dr Patrick Dixon. Also
The Genetic Revolution -
Chapter 9: Right and wrong - gene ethics - by Dr Patrick Dixon
and GeneCharter - analysis by
Dr Patrick Dixon, Global Change Ltd.
Q: Can scientists clone a replacement kidney
for me? I received a kidney transplant in 1984, via cadaver donor.
My kidneys were not deceased but just did not develop do to a blockage.
I still have one of my original kidneys and was wondering if it
is possible to clone two healthy kidneys from a DNA sample of the
one. I am asking because my transplant may be failing, my creatnine
is 4.2 and there is a 5 year waiting list for another. I would be
willing to volunteer my DNA for testing. Thank you for your consideration
A: Thanks - not possible to grow entire organs but
interesting experimental work being done on seeding artificial kidneys
with living kidney cells - perhaps from a pig. To grow an
entire organ would involve growing a whole person ie creating an
identical twin or clone, impanting it, seeing it born and then as
it grows up using it as a donor of a kidney. I am against
such an idea for many reasons. However something close has
already been done with the deliberate selection of an IVF embryo
because it had the right genes to donate tissue to another family
member after birth. Ethical problems for the cloning example
include physical risks to cloned child of mutation, emotional risks
to the child, health risks by removing the kidney, and problems
of consent ie the child will be too young to agree. See Should
we ban human cloning?, HFEA
says yes to Human Cloning in UK - feauture, Embryonic
stem cells for human tissues - human cloning next, Human
cloning - clones of supermodels, Dolly the sheep, now human cloning
lab for Japan - by Dr Patrick Dixon, The
Genetic Revolution - Chapter 3: Human cloning - by Dr Patrick Dixon,
The Genetic Revolution -
Chapter 6: New Medicines and Health - by Dr Patrick Dixon, The
Genetic Revolution - Chapter 9: Right and wrong - gene ethics -
by Dr Patrick Dixon, Videos
(40) on this site.,Human
cloning latest news headlines
Q: Hi, Dr.Dixon.Contradicting to many of the people
who are openly in favor of cloning themselves, I have a different
view of this issue. Immortality, as many of them are hoping for,
is a curse rather than a blessing. To me, life is precious because
it has a limited time span. If all of us can live forever (suppose
we can transfer our brain-waves into our clones), we will not be
able to enjoy life as we do now. I know that I don't have a very
strong argument, but I strongly believe in it. I sincerely hope
many of the other advocates of cloning to seriously consider this
argument before they actually clone themselves in hoping for immortality.
Thanks for your time.
A: I agree - immortality here on earth may not
be the taste of heaven people hope for - at least in the world as
it is.
Full
text of The Genetic Revolution - by Dr Patrick Dixon
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