Phil:
I suspect that your comments (below) about stem-cell research were meant in
humor.
Of Clinton's establishing a Bioethics Advisory Committee due to his concern
over the possibility of bioengineering part-human part-cow stem-cells, you
wrote:
"Is he is afraid of someone creating a half-cow half-human type of
creature? I don't know the current scientific possiblities, but this
sounds a little like believing in bad science fiction. I would, by
the way, have no problem with receiving a graft of cow cells, and I
doubt that I would start giving milk or chewing a cud as a result."
Phil Tompkins
(Moo)
But on the chance that you were at all serious, may I submit that rather
than label this potential bioiengineering development -- a development that,
as I've read, Advanced Stemcell Technology announced it could now do -- as
"science fiction", you do some thorough reading on the subject of genetic
engineering. If you do, you will find that there is indeed an enormous and
quite real potential for using genetic engineering for purposes both
positive AND negative -- and in both such categories, developments are
already being hotly pursued and altering the actual and potential ways in
which that our human civilization will progress.
For example: Did you know that some types of tobacco have been modified with
cow-genes? Or that a mouse-gene has been plugged into a certain type of
tomato? Have you followed at all the genetic engineering which lead to the
cloning of "Dolly" the lamb? Or of other animals more recently?
Certainly you must be aware of genetic research developments -- which
largely comprise the current & major surge in the field of biotechnology --
that are aimed at safeguarding/improving the health & longevity &
mental/physical status of humans, through modifying the human genetic
structure? And that's not to mention the same type of efforts underway to be
applied to certain species of plants & animals -- such as the planned
bioengineering of cows so that their milk will automatically include
components designed to (presumably) enhance human health or human resistance
to certain diseases, or the planned bioengineering of various kinds of
food-crops so that they will similarly contain (presumably)
human-health-enhancing components?
Or that now, on the horizon, there may well be the possibility of
genetically creating never-before-existing animals, plants, and, maybe, new
aspects of the human species itself?
Just do some checking up on the Human Genome Project, for example -- one of
the most monumental scientific research efforts, with one of the most
monumental potential payoffs, in recent human history -- and you'll get a
sense of the enormous importance that's being attached to this field, and of
the intensity of the efforts being pursued in this field. And I think you'll
see that many scientists are indeed concerned about the following point:
As evidenced by the massive and rapidly broadening scope of scientific
knowledge about genetics and bioengineering, the possibility of utilizing
genetic engineering to significantly alter the course of humanity -- and to
actually create a new version of "human" -- may not, in fact, be far off.
And this, clearly, is what President Clinton is concerned about.
-- SJS
11/16/98
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Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 01:31:35 -0500
From: >
Subject: Re: Important
> Saying that he is "deeply troubled" by the creation of part-human,
> part-cow embryonic stem cells, President Clinton has directed the
> National Bioethics Advisory Commission to consider the implications
> of the research
