I’m not against genetic research. I think the possibility o fcorrecting deformations before they happen can be great. The possibility of cureing so many diseases is a maricle in itself. What I’m concerned with is where will they draw the line? Will they draw a line at all? Will they use it for cureing diseases? Or will they use it to create super human weapons, to be sci-fi about it. Will we abuse this new technology like we do everything else. Like atom research was used to blow up shit before it was used to create new materials. Thats what I’m afriad of…so many benefeits, and yet so many potential horrors.
A typo. Should have been “movie”.
And anything else I might have had to say on topic of cloning has been said well by Podkayne and Lemur866.
If another thread were to examine genetic modification, I might have more to say. More questions, at least.
mighty_maxx wrote, in the OP:
[nitpick]
ANDi is a Rhesus monkey, not a chimp, whose name was chosen because it’s “iDNA” spelled backwards. The gene for fluorescence (day-glo), not phosphorescence (glow-in-the-dark), was grafted from the genome of a jellyfish into the genome of a Rhesus monkey zygote – then the resulting altered-zygote was allowed to divide and mature into ANDi. Said gene is actually dormant in ANDi’s genome, meaning that ANDi is not and never will be fluorescent; but if ANDi has any babies and passes this dormant gene on to them, they might pick up a mutation which re-activates it. However, such a trait would doubtlessly be detrimental in the wild, as predators would have no problem picking out a day-glo monkey trying to hide in the trees.
[/nitpick]
I know exactly where the name ANDi came from …I read the article…it was irrelevant and pointless to go into great detail about the monkey and exactly what gene from what jelly fish it came from (the jelly fish didn’t have a name)…so I left it out.
True, the details of ANDi aren’t important to the debate – but I always nit-pick when monkeys are confused with chimps. Chimpanzees have more in common with humans than they do with any species of monkey. (Except, maybe, for Mickey Dolenz.)
tracer…I understand, I will remember to pay more attention to the type of monkey if I ever bring out another argument that deals with them. Your nit pic is noted and put to memmory 
Hmm, well add my name to the list of nit-pickers… =)
Could you put a link to this “glowing monkey”? Sounds like a load of…well horse dung if you ask me. Glowing monkies… sounds like something you might have read in the national Enquirer or some other Tabloid.
Call me a skeptic. My mind is generally very open to things but it only opens so far…
Well even though this thread technically died a long time ago, I’ll answer your nit-pic anyway. I coined the term “Glowing Monkies”. Where did I get this you say? I got it because they do glow. Get it? monkies that glow = glowing monkies. They glowed under infared light. The scientists spliced a gene from phosphorus jelly fish.
here’s the link
ANDi didn;t actually glow like some kind Sci-fi movie. His proteins glowed under microscope
What i’m more worried about when it comes to cloning, is the possibilities it can lead to. Huge armies can be “created” on a whim with this kind of technology. Do we really want to give someone that type of power? well there’s other reasons it scares me too…but im feelin kinda lazy right now so maybe i’ll post later
Ummm… No. Cloned animals start out as little babies just like any other animals do. It would take many years to create an army of cloned soldiers, and if you think defense is expensive now with a volunteer force trained to fight at 18, think what a force expensively cloned and raised from infancy would cost. Creating armies on a whim is still Buck Rogers stuff and will be for a long time to come.
mighty maxx:
A hundred years ago, many people opposed smallpox vaccination: it frightened them, and it just didn’t seem right to tamper with the “laws of nature”.
grienspace:
A planet where apes evolved from men??? Sorry, but I don’t see it happening. There would have to be a pretty strong economic demand for domestic apes, and who would want to own one when it’s easier to just have kids?
Why must we all be assured that we won’t be forced outside our comfort zones? The mere thought of eye surgery gives me the heebie-jeebies, but I think people should be allowed to have it done. Jehovah’s Witnesses hate the thought of people getting blood transfusions, but people get them anyway without even pausing to consider how badly their actions traumatize JW citizens.
blessedwolf:
This exact same dilemma was easily solved in the classic novel, The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss. I hate to ruin the plot, but in the end the Sneetches realized those with stars upon thars were no better nor worse than the plain-bellied Sneetches, and they could all be friends.
(Genetic perfection can’t exist. Variability is necessary to have a healthy gene pool so ironically, a race of “perfect” humans would be very easy to destroy. Besides, much of what we consider “good” or “bad” physical traits is just a matter of personal preference.)
Lemur:
{Dialing pediatrician’s office to cancel appointment} Damn! There goes my get-rich-quick scheme!