# Clonaid: bio/medical breakthrough or week's worth of publicity? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169 "2002-12-27T15:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davesink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@davesink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davesink)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/1 "2002-12-27T15:24:11Z")
This item appeared on CNN’s website this morning: [http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/12/27/human.cloning/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/12/27/human.cloning/index.html) It details a kooky religious group (dare I say CULT) who claim to have cloned the first human baby. Not sure if this belongs in Great Debates or Cafe Society, but since this has hoax written all over it IMHO, I put it here. I especially like the grandmother’s claim that the baby “looks just like her mother”. Proof enough for me 😉 ! So here’s the way it goes: call a press conference, make some bizzare claim guaranteed to get your wacky agenda in front of the maximum number of people (knowing full well that time required for DNA testing buys you a week or so of uncertainty) and figure that by the time you’re found out, you’re message is already disseminated and good number curiosity seekers will have run out to buy your book. At least that scenario is more comforting than contemplating the alternative, that maybe they really DID do it. (“WOW, look, a healthy cloned baby! Now let’s check the dumpster for all the test runs.”) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/2 "2002-12-27T18:48:50Z")
I was going to post about that too! Here’s what I know: [Group claims first cloned human born](http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/12/27/human.cloning/index.html) > [@](#): > > Brigitte Boisselier, scientific director of Clonaid, said the first cloned human baby was born Thursday. The news articles I have seen place emphasis on the fact that Ms. Boisselier belongs to a “sect” called the Raelians, who believe that life on earth has an extraterrestrial origin. Other “facts” - the clone “mother” is a 31-year-old American citizen. DNA was taken from skin cells. 4 other clones are expected by February. No proof was presented at the press conference. She has invited experts to verify her claim. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/3 "2002-12-27T23:01:57Z")
When we realize what we’ve done: :smack: Or should I say: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: etc. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/4 "2002-12-27T23:21:49Z")
[If you want to know more about the Raelians](http://www.gospelcom.net/apologeticsindex/r12.html) . Frankly I doubt they have the expertise to pull off something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/5 "2002-12-27T23:42:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*When we realize what we’ve done: :smack: > > Or should I say: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: etc. > 😃 \*\* Who’s this “we” paleface? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/6 "2002-12-28T00:29:35Z")
More discussion in MPSIMS: **reprise’s** [A clone is born.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=152802) ---
**Author:** ![davesink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@davesink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davesink)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/7 "2003-01-07T16:30:51Z")
I predicted they’d get a week’s worth of publicity…they actually got TWO weeks: [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,74747,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,74747,00.html) ("The journalist who said he would oversee DNA testing…could not rule out the possibility of “an elaborate hoax.” ") ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clonaid-bio-medical-breakthrough-or-weeks-worth-of-publicity/145169/8 "2003-01-07T23:34:01Z")
Yup… Looks like a hoax. So it’s only one :smack: … For now…