embryo research

The New York Times has a long — and, I must say, generally fair — discussion of the contentious issue of embryo research. I won’t belabor most of the issues raised, but I want to highlight one aspect of the column that illustrates how some “expert ethicists” consider it a part of their job to conjure ways to bust through established moral limits.

When embryonic research first started, we were told that there would be a strict 14-day limit on researching embryos in petri dishes. At the time, I said it was all baloney, that the “ethicists” established the “14-day rule” only because embryos couldn’t be kept viable in a dish after that time. In other words, they were prohibiting something that could not yet be done. But, I predicted, once the permitted research found ways to keep embryos going beyond 14 days, the rule would be repealed. And so it came to pass.

Now, apparently, to further facilitate an anything-goes embryonic-research license — and in light of the potential that embryos can be manufactured outside of fertilization — some “ethicists” are arguing that the definition of “embryo” should be revised. From, “The Embryo Question Can’t Be Ignored” (my emphasis):

Transhumanists believe that technology will allow them to live forever — or, at least, indefinitely — in the corporeal world. One scheme by which they think they might accomplish this goal is to create clones of themselves and then scavenge those clones’ bodies for parts to be transplanted. This idea was just featured in the Daily Mail: Regardless of the huge strides scientists have made towards reaching the elusive goal, immortality remains a pipedream. But one researcher in the anti-ageing field believe we could get there — or at least extend human lives beyond the current biological boundaries — without any miracle pill or injection. Dr Alex Zhavoronkov, head of biotech company Insilico Medicine, says human clones could offer the answer Read More ›