Opinion

Cloning Scare

By SCOTT T. HARDS

The press all over the world heavily covered the announcement a few weeks ago that for the first time ever, a group of scientists had successfully cloned an adult mammal ― a sheep named "Dolly." The news was followed quickly by editorials questioning whether science had "gone too far," and cautioning that people shouldn't "play God." President Bill Clinton even announced that the U.S. government would not fund any experiment in human cloning.

So what is it about cloning, particularly human cloning, that's got so many people uptight? Is the prospect of genetically identical people running around so horrifying? Tell that to a pair of identical twins ― I'm sure they'll have a different perspective on the situation!

I think part of the uproar over cloning is that many people simply don't understand what it is. They seem to have it confused with genetic alteration, another technology that's creating a stir. For example, after the Dolly announcement, a poll was taken in the U.S. asking people if they would eat the meat of a cloned cow. Seventy percent said no. Of course, a cloned cow would simply be a exact copy of an otherwise healthy cow, so there would be no reason whatsoever to worry about the safety of its meat, unlike that of a genetically altered cow.

In addition, there appears to be confusion in some people's minds about the relationship between genetics and personality. Some of the sensational stories that appeared in the media talked about scenarios in which people would clone evil dictators like Hitler, or great athletes like Michael Jordan. It's important to remember that even though this will no doubt be possible in a few years' time, there's no guarantee that a clone of Michael Jordan would even be interested in basketball! You only have to look at identical twins to see that two very different personalities can emerge from exactly the same genetics, especially when the two children are raised apart.

When you get right down to it, the ultimate question surrounding human cloning is "why bother?" I find it very hard to think of a situation in which cloning a person would have any value, or solve any problem that cannot already be solved by other means. So is all this hand-wringing and instant rule-making really necessary? On the other hand, I think cloning of plants and animals will prove to be an incredibly valuable technology in the years to come, particularly in the production of food and medicines. It would be foolish at this stage to let groundless fears about the technique prevent scientists from using it to better our lives.

Shukan ST: April 11, 1997

(C) All rights reserved