Tech | April 17, 2009 | 121 comments

Human-Animal Hybrids: What do you think?

source: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/humananimal_hybrid_ban_sought.html

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DeliaTheArtist
"Legislation that would prohibit scientists in the state from creating human-animal hybrids for experimentation -- believed to be the first such ban proposed in the nation -- has been filed for debate at the lawmaking session that opens April 27.

Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner, has filed Senate Bill 115 on behalf of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Conference lobbyist Danny Loar said the bill is designed to be a "pre-emptive strike" against scientists who might want to mix "human and animal cells in a Petri dish for scientific research purposes. . . . It is becoming more of an issue globally."

Martiny and Loar said they are unaware of any attempts to do that type of research in Louisiana.

Loar said the British Parliament recently approved legislation allowing scientists to mix human cells with those of cows and pigs for possible stem cell research or other scientific experiments. He said the bishops feel the use of human cells in such experiments is unethical.

"The archbishop asked me to file it, " Martiny said of a recent conversation he had with New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes."


What do YOU think?
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121 comments // Human-Animal Hybrids: What do you think?

  • mandroid
    • 0
      mandroid  
    • DeliaTheArtist:

      usually I think you're right on however with this one I gotta wonder if you have given any thought to the suffering of the animals to gain these genetic traits or do you just not care? now I'm not an animal rights nazi at all, I love a good turkey and bacon sando. I guess what I'm saying here is the trial and error phase of this will be gastly. If you're ok with that then well back to my original post who wouldn't want a tail. what kind of tail would you like? a monkey tail, a dog tail, a cat tail, a horse tail?

    • 3 years ago
  • yaget1chance
  • neocongo
  • current89
  • amae617
  • bekah_1984
    • 0
      bekah_1984  

    • I won't say that asking for a cute pair of bunny ears and a kitty tail would be something I would never consider, but in all seriousness, we have to come to the simple question or should we really try and go down that road? What possible benefit is there for with animal or human if this is done. I'm not a mainstream religious person, but I will say that dabbling with cross-species hybrids for the sake of the "just to see if we can really do it" statement is not science. Science investigates what is there and what we can test. It is not a green light to try and make anything that floats into your head.

      Secondly, it would be really hard for this to actually happen. First, because the two animals would generally have to have the same number of chromosomes, and second, because it could simply end up a bastard breed like the mule (which is a result of a male donkey and a female horse mating) but is not it's own species because it cannot create viable offspring generations. (It's a rare case that mules even are fertile.)

    • 3 years ago
  • eldamon
  • Nettle
    • 0
      Nettle  

    • I think it's fine to create mixed creations for the sake of bettering health practices, but I'm seein' a little Fullmetal Alchemist here where hybrids are made and used by the government because they were created and not born (and apparently had no rights).

      I doubt we'd ever get that far, but still a thought.

    • 3 years ago
  • current89
    • 0
      current89  

    • "That if we could use lizard genetics to help us regenerate, or take specific animal parts to help replace lost limbs or organs...?"

      I agree with you there, but beyond that I'm not to fond of splicing animal and human dna. Don't listen to me though, I'm no expert on gene splicing.

      Tagged it to US Politics.

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • daveguy
    • 0
      daveguy  
    • current89:

      Before we worry about 'splicing' our DNA with that of a lizard, remember that all animals on the planet share significant parts of the DNA chain.

      How much of an animal nucleotide would the bishop like me to avoid? Stretches of animal DNA, perhaps... but at the end we're all AT GC combos anyway.... so how many of those combos is too many, el Papa?

      One? Cuz we've all got about 16 mill base pairs... so... some percentage of that? or just none of us are allowed to use the same DNA that a rat or a lizard has?

      So which humans do we consider as the prime example of what it means to have "HUMAN" DNA?

      This is just one more great example of why RELIGION HAS NO PLACE IN POLITICS!!! This idiot doesn't understand the first thing about DNA or what it means to share DNA with the organisms we've evolved with... He's more interested in legislating his morality than he is interested in understanding what the hell he's talking about.

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
    • 0
      DeliaTheArtist  

    • "The archbishop asked me to file it" No surprise there, as religious figures always assume they are the first and last word on moral issues.

      However, I think this issue is very interesting- I don't assume we will be seeing centaurs or lizard men any time soon, but what about pieces of animal genetics that could help us, be used in medical procedures, improve parts of our brain or bodies?

      What if we could use lizard genetics to help us regenerate, or take specific animal parts to help replace lost limbs or organs- is that a "hybrid"?

      Where's the line? What do you think of this bioethics issue?

    • 3 years ago
  • elitethinker
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