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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1998
> January
> January 9, 1998:
Hour One: Human Cloning:
A Chicago-based scientist announced this week that he plans to attempt to clone humans within the next eighteen months.
On Tuesday, Richard Seed, a scientist in Chicago, told NPR's Joe Palca that he wants to begin cloning a human within the next three months. Seed claims to have the technology and the expertise, and is trying to raise money to start a fertility clinic that would clone human beings. | The suggestion has given new fuel to a fire of controversy that was first touched off in February of last year. When Scottish researchers announced the birth of Dolly, a lamb, the world's first cloned mammal, genetics researchers reassured the public that human cloning would not be attempted. Now, it seems, others may take matters into their own hands, even though President Clinton, several members of Congress, and several state governments have already spoken out against Seed's proposal. |  | In addition to ethical concerns over Seed's suggestion, there are technical problems as well. Scientists are far from perfecting their cloning technique on animals in the lab - let alone on human beings in clinical situations. On this hour of Science Friday, we'll talk about cloning humans, from a technical, legal, and ethical perspective.
We asked our listeners about their views on human cloning.
Here's what a few of you had to say.
Guests:
Lee Silver
Author, "Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in a Brave New World," (Avon Books)
Professor of Molecular Biology
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Tom Murray
Author, "The Worth of A Child," (University of California Press)
Director, Center for Biomedical Ethics
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Richard Epstein
Professor of Law
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
Science
Friday's February 28, 1997 broadcast about Dolly the lamb clone
Science
Friday's December 19, 1997 broadcast about Molly and Polly, the Pharmaceutical
Sheep
NPR's Joe Palca's report on the cloning of humans
New
Scientist's cloning web feature
National Bioethics Advisory Committee
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