Human Stem Cells + Animal Embryos = Ethical Conundrum

This is a fascinating topic. Do the potential medical benefits outweigh the risk, even if small, of introducing something akin to human consciousness in animals? I tend to believe most of these concerns are highly unlikely, but what if? No matter one's personal morality this is a challenging question.

NPR: should-human-stem-cells-be-used-to-make-partly-human-chimeras

 

I have not read the article yet, but your statement of "human consciousness in animals" implies it isn't already there. Which I argue it is, just at lower levels.

 

I'm saying don't screw with it, but it's not really due to morals.

It's due to the fact humans will inevitably make something awful.

 

Right, Norris. That's a great point. The fact we may not understand the consciousness in other species does not negate its existence. There is an overt homosapien centric bend to this topic, no doubt, so maybe a better clarification is a consciousness with recognizable human characteristics.

 

I think that's a very real concern. Like an amalgamation of Butch and Dooley awful.

 

aren't we just talking about intelligence?

 

Great. Now I will have nightmares all weekend. Thanks, man.

 

Wouldn't it be cruel to create something that is part human in order to do research on it. Or am I misunderstanding?

 

It is, and though I struggle with certain aspects I support the research.

Responsible oversight

 

I think it relates to this idea that if a human created it, it is subject to the whims of human control. It wouldn't exist otherwise, so we have dominion over it.

Michael Crichton hinted at such a mentality in the second Jurassic Park novel, but with extinct animals. But it points to the same thing--we made it, or brought it back, therefore we can do whatever we want to it.

 

I guess it depends on which part is human. Grow a human liver in a pig and I'm good. You've got bacon and a transplant.

 

Crichton's infatuated w/ this kinda stuff iirc, he directed the movie version of Cooks best seller "Coma" based on another highly controversial subject

 

2nd season of ST:TNG had a good show on this, Measure of a Man. IP has mentioned this episode before.

 

Agreed. Humans are animals. If that weren't true, we wouldn't ever worry about the flu.

 

I just looked at my list of worries and flu didn't make the cut.

 

Clearly you're not living in a third world country then.

 

True. I'd be okay if we were sure we had the technology to isolate like this.

 

On the other side of the same coin is that we're the only animal that can worry about the flu.

 

I get this to an extent. But "whatever we want" seems strong. I mean we also domesticated the dog. There wouldn't be any creatures that watched every move we make and wanted to spend every single second in our presence if we hadn't created them.