Biological science appears to be converging to a point where two very… interesting things may complement each other.
Stem cells might be able to be used to repair old and damaged tissue. From what I understand (which is about as deep as reading the picture captions in Discover), they may be able to regenerate entire organs someday. But they’re mighty hard to come by in a human adult. Ideally, you would want new, identically matched genetic material from which to create your replacement cells.
And then there’s the prospect of… human cloning.
[strangelove]
It would appear to me that the possibility of cloning–and partially gestating–a human fetus is well within the boundaries of current science. A series of cloned embryos from a single human subject, in various stages of development [grabs crotch], might be sytematically developed and preserved [bites hand] for the purpose of harvesting the stem cells needed to reinvigorate those organs which regrettably eventually fail the human body. [twists embarrasedly away from audience, bites gloved hand] Ze possibilities are endless, really, from the regeneration of damaged organs to the preservation of an individual’s life forever… Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!
[/strangelove]
First, would anyone like to clue me in to the post-Popular Science fallacies of this idea?
Second… well, there’s that moral thing. Maybe we oughta start here.