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Lady_Satine
Title: Head of Lexian R&D
Joined: Oct 15 2005
Location: Metro area, Georgia
Posts: 7287
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Britain allows animal-human hybrid embryos
TIM CASTLE
Reuters
May 17, 2007 at 9:41 AM EDT
"LONDON — Britain cleared the way on Thursday for scientists to conduct experiments using hybrid animal-human embryos after the government bowed to protests from researchers who said a proposed ban could hurt their work.
Scientists want to use the hybrid embryos to find cures for illnesses such as Parkinson's, stroke and Alzheimer's.
The Department of Health said it would accept a recommendation from Parliament's Science and Technology Committee that interspecies embryos could be created for research.
In December, the government had proposed a ban on creating the hybrid embryos over what it called "considerable public unease," but with the door left open for later regulations that could allow such research under licence.
Britain is one of the leading states for stem-cell research, attracting scientists from round the world with a rules that allow embryo studies within strict guidelines. The proposed ban was seen as putting that at risk.
The change in the government's position comes after sustained pressure from scientists and politicians who argued that the hybrid embryos would help overcome a shortage of human eggs for research.
Researchers currently rely on human eggs left over from fertility treatments, but these are in short supply.
The hybrid embryos, which would be destroyed within 14 days, would be more than 99-per-cent human but would contain a small amount of animal DNA.
Scientists say that any imposition of a ban would see research in other countries, such as China and Canada, overtake Britain.
Scientists in China, the United States and Canada have already carried out similar work, the same technique used to create Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned mammal.
But U.S. President George W. Bush has vetoed an increase in federal funding for stem-cell research, saying U.S. taxpayers who object to such work should not have to pay for it.
The British government's draft legislation as written still bars the creation of inter-species embryos, with the government leaving it to a committee of MPs due to scrutinize the bill to find the best way of allowing the research."
Let me repeat: "But U.S. President George W. Bush has vetoed an increase in federal funding for stem-cell research, saying U.S. taxpayers who object to such work should not have to pay for it."
By that logic I shouldn't have to pay for "the war on terror" or the Department of Homeland Security. I would have no problem paying for something like the above.
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"Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time, and you'll have the time of your life!" |
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Cattivo
Joined: Apr 14 2006
Location: Lake Michigan
Posts: 3332
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Sounds like disturbing, bad news to me.
Stem cells don't need federal funding in the US anyway Sathien. The private sector can fund research into using cells that are not created for the sole purpose of harvesting, which results in the destruction of life.
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Chrisby
Joined: Mar 31 2006
Location: Where my computer is.
Posts: 1262
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Why, that's not good news at all!
What has science done!
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Mr. Bomberman
2009 Forum Champion
Title: (still) token black.
Joined: Jan 27 2006
Location: Home of the lost towers
Posts: 4543
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Awesome. I wanna be a hybrid mutant!
They also found some kind of hybrid mutant in Staten Island somewhere, months earlier, and killed it. I don't remember it much, as it was on the radio, but it had the screams of a doberman or some shit.
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Xbox Live: HazNobody, pronounced "HAz". | Haven't went to IRC yet? Go! #sydlexia @ DALnet. | Y'all should play some Super Robot Wars J (hey that rhymes!) | yeah I'm back who gives a shit |
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Knyte
2010 SLF Tag Champ*
Title: Curator Of The VGM
Joined: Nov 01 2006
Location: Here I am.
Posts: 6749
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Yes, yes, yes!!!!
Soon my army of half man/half badgers will decend upon the world, and bring beautiful chaos!
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
And, on a more serious note:
I completely agree with such research. This whole stem-cell controversy is only because of the bible thumpers who thinks that science is nothing but Satan's magic at work. They cry because scientist are using human embryos, which falls into the whole pro-life context. But, at that stage in development, the have no brain, and are not capible of self-awareness, nor thinking. And, I think, there for I am. They do not, so they are not.
And, to any religious people I may have offended in that rant, let me close by saying, why would god give us minds capible of logic and science, but not intend us to use them?
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Char Aznable
Title: Char Classic™
Joined: Jul 24 2006
Location: Robot Boombox HQ
Posts: 7542
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I really hate bible-thumping assholes, which leads to some awkward situations, amplified by the fact that I'm Catholic.
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S. McCracken
Moderator
Title: Enforcer
Joined: Aug 22 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 2171
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I wouldn't be opposed to government funding as long as it's strictly allocated among researchers that use only placenta cells and those of already-aborted fetuses where there can be no money or services exchanged.
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Black Zarak
Title: Big Coffin Hunter
Joined: Feb 01 2006
Location: Phyrexia
Posts: 4098
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You know what this means? MINOTAURS! Finally, I'll have a use for that old labyrinth...
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REVIEWS, LEGOS, NONSENSE Check out Zarak's Barracks!
"Let that be a lesson to you, your family and everyone you've ever known..."
"Thanks to denial, I'm immortal!" |
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Valdronius
Moderator
Title: SydLexia COO
Joined: Aug 22 2005
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 4459
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Knyte wrote: |
I think, there for I am. They do not, so they are not.
And, to any religious people I may have offended in that rant, let me close by saying, why would god give us minds capible of logic and science, but not intend us to use them? |
Your brain obviously isn't capable of logic if you're claiming that the converse of a true statement is also true. For shame Knyte, for shame.
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Klimbatize wrote: |
A Hispanic dude living in Arizona knows a lot of Latinas? That's fucking odd. |
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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
Posts: 24869
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Knyte wrote: |
And, to any religious people I may have offended in that rant, let me close by saying, why would god give us minds capible of logic and science, but not intend us to use them? |
I second Spanky's position on federal funding. I also don't understand how people can oppose stem cell research, especially Republicans. I mean, come on, Nancy Reagan is for it.
However, just because science is capable of certain things doesn't mean it should be used for them. Look at the atomic bomb, a marvel of science, but something we'd be better of without. Or how about the Holocaust? The Holocaust took Henry Ford's assembly line concept and used it to mass produce death. Science can create, but science can also destroy. When it comes to living organisms, it is probably best that science is used to do neither. But it should most definitely be used to heal.
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PhreQuencYViii
Title: olololol
Joined: Jul 25 2006
Location: VA
Posts: 565
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Be prepared to fight these off one day!
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Knyte
2010 SLF Tag Champ*
Title: Curator Of The VGM
Joined: Nov 01 2006
Location: Here I am.
Posts: 6749
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Syd Lexia wrote: |
When it comes to living organisms, it is probably best that science is used to do neither. But it should most definitely be used to heal. |
That is the whole point of this. Animals do not get half the viruses and diseses that humans do? Scientist want to know why? Are the animals immune? Is there something in thier system that can fight it? Or are they not targeted by said illness? That is the whole point of this study.
Not to make supermutants, but to make humans more resiliant to sickness and death.
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Tishwitch
Title: PornStarExtraordinaire
Joined: Jul 01 2006
Location: Winter Wonderland
Posts: 1409
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Knyte wrote: |
Not to make supermutants, but to make humans more resiliant to sickness and death. |
But why is making humans more resilient to death a good thing? Why is it a good thing for humans to be living so long?
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Tebor
Moderator
Title: Master of the Universe
Joined: Aug 22 2005
Location: Gotham City
Posts: 6088
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Mr. Bomberman wrote: |
They also found some kind of hybrid mutant in Staten Island somewhere, months earlier, and killed it. I don't remember it much, as it was on the radio, but it had the screams of a doberman or some shit. |
Cause it was a dog. Reports of it being a "hybrid mutant" were greatly exaggerated. Drudge Report Report Report did a story on it... kinda.
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"If you will not tell me, I will hurt people!!!" -Nuclear Man
"Do you hear? The alpha and the omega. Death and rebirth. And as you die, so will I be reborn!" - Skeletor
8341 unread forum updates since I left (2/7/14)... Uh-oh. |
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Char Aznable
Title: Char Classic™
Joined: Jul 24 2006
Location: Robot Boombox HQ
Posts: 7542
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I don't know about you, Tish, but I'm not a fan of dying.
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Mr. Bomberman
2009 Forum Champion
Title: (still) token black.
Joined: Jan 27 2006
Location: Home of the lost towers
Posts: 4543
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Char Aznable
Title: Char Classic™
Joined: Jul 24 2006
Location: Robot Boombox HQ
Posts: 7542
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Seriously. By that logic, why invent medicines to keep people alive when they get sick?
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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
Posts: 24869
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Tishwitch wrote: |
Why is it a good thing for humans to be living so long? |
Because if you finally track down the guy who raped your wife a few hundred years after the fact, the two of you will probably have a good laugh about it. That, or you'll fight to the death. That's what I learned from Christopher Lambert. I may have learned a similar lesson from Adrian Paul, but fuck if I can remember his backstory.
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Tishwitch
Title: PornStarExtraordinaire
Joined: Jul 01 2006
Location: Winter Wonderland
Posts: 1409
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Char Aznable wrote: |
I don't know about you, Tish, but I'm not a fan of dying. |
I don't want to die today, or any day soon really. But, I'm also not a fan of people like Terry Schiavo being kept alive... technological advances are what kept that brain dead woman alive for so long. I can't even begin to imagine how much money was wasted keeping a vegetable alive. She's only 1 of many reasons why technology is ruining the human race.
And don't even get me started on the advances made in fertility sciences... I can't think of a worse idea than permitting 50 year old women to conceive children... all medical & psychological evidence points towards that being a step backward for society.
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Tebor
Moderator
Title: Master of the Universe
Joined: Aug 22 2005
Location: Gotham City
Posts: 6088
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Syd Lexia wrote: |
Tishwitch wrote: |
Why is it a good thing for humans to be living so long? |
Because if you finally track down the guy who raped your wife a few hundred years after the fact, the two of you will probably have a good laugh about it. That, or you'll fight to the death. That's what I learned from Christopher Lambert. I may have learned a similar lesson from Adrian Paul, but fuck if I can remember his backstory. |
And damned if you can make sense of anything after the first film
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"If you will not tell me, I will hurt people!!!" -Nuclear Man
"Do you hear? The alpha and the omega. Death and rebirth. And as you die, so will I be reborn!" - Skeletor
8341 unread forum updates since I left (2/7/14)... Uh-oh. |
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Sock
Title: Master Fornicator
Joined: Mar 12 2006
Location: The Skies Above
Posts: 989
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Tishwitch wrote: |
Char Aznable wrote: |
I don't know about you, Tish, but I'm not a fan of dying. |
I don't want to die today, or any day soon really. But, I'm also not a fan of people like Terry Schiavo being kept alive... technological advances are what kept that brain dead woman alive for so long. I can't even begin to imagine how much money was wasted keeping a vegetable alive. She's only 1 of many reasons why technology is ruining the human race.
And don't even get me started on the advances made in fertility sciences... I can't think of a worse idea than permitting 50 year old women to conceive children... all medical & psychological evidence points towards that being a step backward for society. |
Being kept alive as a unconscious meatbag is different than dying of a common illness at an old age. Not to mention, with modern medicine, and modern training regimens, you don't really have to be completely sedentary when you're seventy.
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There never was an image here, what the fuck are you talking about? |
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Char Aznable
Title: Char Classic™
Joined: Jul 24 2006
Location: Robot Boombox HQ
Posts: 7542
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Yeah. We've got Viagra and protein supplements, we'll be fine.
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