Cloning the First Human

Cloning the First Human

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Ratings: 5.44/10 from 48 users.

Cloning the First HumanDoctors Panayiotis Zavos and Severino Antinori claim they are ready to embark on the greatest human experiment of our age. They say they will attempt to clone a human being. Most people think the objections to this are ethical – human cloning would create many moral dilemmas.

There is another question that few ever ask: is the science actually ready yet for cloning healthy humans? Horizon follows the latest research, which has led many scientists to believe that Zavos and Antinori’s plans to clone the first human could end in tragedy. The program also meets couples who think cloning offers them the only way to raise a child who is truly their own.

For decades, cloning remained within the realms of science fiction. The idea that instead of combining a sperm and an egg, a new human could be made from a single cell taken from an adult, seemed completely absurd. But that all changed in February 1997 when Dolly the sheep became the first animal cloned from an adult.

Ever since Dolly, scientists have been continuing to experiment with cloning animals. So far, they have succeeded with a lot of side effects in cloning sheep, cattle, pigs, goats and mice, fueling the belief that humans could be next. You might also want to watch Human Cloning here at TDF.

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DustUp
DustUp
6 years ago

Yikes! There are some sickos out there and on here. As far as @Nat Turner calling white people sick. Look in the mirror dude, it isn't race/color that is the problem, it is the mentality/choices an individual makes or is raised into. Which color/race hasn't committed atrocities?

I reco watching the movie "The Island" with Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor for an interesting look at what the purpose of cloning will be used for. In this supposed fiction they found the human organs and parts wouldn't develop correctly without everything else stimulated to some degree similarly as a regular human develops, thereby making a walking talking thinking clone ...that they cut up for parts for rich people clone sponsors. This of course is where the idea of immortality, well in this case, extended life, has led.

So people abuse their gift of life and no worries I'll just get a new liver and heart from my clone.

Rather than asking the silly question, "What's wrong with it?" Why not ask what is right with it, instead?

Intelligence is no match for wisdom. And the two unfortunately do not come as a package deal.

What would happen if all those humans engaged in developing weapons of war, atomic bombs, nuclear reactors, biological and chemical weapons ...actually spent their time doing something worthwhile? Like raising decent members of society or studying the work of Tesla and many others for a real solution to energy and pollution? You allow your tax dollars to be spent on that military research as well as subsidizing the world pollution industry called fossil fuel.

Similarly what would happen if such medical/biological scientists worked on projects that didn't require "playing god" for ego gratification and profit? I for one have a friend in a wheelchair that used to be athletic. How about working on ways to enable him to walk again or a replacement kidney that isn't from a clone for all those people who listened to their profiteering doctors and took the prescribed pharmaceuticals that over the years wiped out their kidneys?

There will be no humanity left unless we start shaming people and cut off their funding; be it the military industrial complex, monsanto, or these biomedical and pharmaceutical types.

Amon Vespucci
Amon Vespucci
8 years ago

What is wrong with cloning humans? If it comes out so wrong that it wouldn't be able to live a healthy enough life then you simply kill it like any other animal. A cloned human is not the same as a naturally born human. Starting to try to clone humans as soon as viably possible would boost the studies by an enormous amount of time.
The less time it takes to clone an "average" human, the more time scientists will have to start using these clones in studies that could again boost our research in all kinds of areas.

"But oh no, infecting clones with different diseases and viruses or using clones to implant them with various technologies would be unethical!" - screamed millions of people. And a leader who wants the votes to become the next whoever of whatever, while knowing about experiments made in secret.

Sorry, but if I could promise a better life for future generations without sacrificing any natural humans, then I couldn't give less of a crap about clones that might be "abused".

If you look back in the history then wars have always skyrocketed our knowledge and technology. A lot of experiments have been done on captives and victims of war, while I think that it is most certainly a horrible thing- it sure didn't harm the science aspect tho.

Then again, clones might act/react very differently from natural humans and might unleash unknown amount of mixed "diseases/viruses etc" on the World when integrating them with the rest of the society, so I would keep them secluded for as long as possible. Much like cloned or modified food that could have disastrous effects on people in the long run.
We have the ability to do great good through our pursuit of knowledge, but we could also end up inflicting irredeemable harm.

There is a lot we don't know about cloning humans and it can only be solved by actively doing it.

Zack2223
Zack2223
9 years ago

The problem with cloning, I think is that the clone wouldn't have a soul.
And it would be just a body, and brain. It may have intelligence and could learn, but it wouldn't have empathy and react to things the same way we do. They wouldn't have a conscience and hence would be psychopathic.

John Smith
John Smith
9 years ago

cloning would be good if only for purpose ofgetting new arm or something like that

Nikolai Grassy
Nikolai Grassy
9 years ago

I'm not religious or anything but I'm still against cloning human beings

Melanie
Melanie
11 years ago

Why would you want to clone your dying mother, if by the time they could clone her you would be old and dying yourself. (to give her a second chance)...second chance at what though.She's not going to have her memories. Nor, will you be able to enjoy her company. The idea is ridiculous!

Collin Chan
Collin Chan
11 years ago

I shudder at the notion of a blackmarket emerging for cloned celebrities as sex slaves.

Ben Jacob
Ben Jacob
11 years ago

i think we are on right track. too many cissarions these days our head is getting bigger than.... . i don't like to see my girl suffer giving birth to a child....i rather do clone of mine and her, and have a boy and a girl by choice :)

comatoast
comatoast
11 years ago

I want my girl friend cloned and a clone of me as well. It would be so cool to see how we'd get along as children/brother hell maybe even lovers as they wouldn't be related. Wonder when they will be able to make a clone of a person as the opposite sex and then they could have sex and make a natural clone. OMG good thing I cant clone. :p

Mukesh Pathak
Mukesh Pathak
11 years ago

Let us be more rational in our approach towards cloning..if scientist can successfully produce a human clone that could be the biggest achievement in the history of science even more greater than finding a aliens and extraterrestrial life...it will be a great step towards understanding the human evolution..

Tara Bea
Tara Bea
11 years ago

If you do a little research you can find that the Germans first cloned a human in 1927, and after WWII our gov't smuggled nazi scientists into north and south america. These facts are documented. Our gov't is WAY more technologically advanced than they want us to think they are.

Steven Bryant
Steven Bryant
11 years ago

I'm all for human cloning but " fools rush In" and that Is exactly what Is happening.
At the moment we have no real idea of the effects that will happen, the people doing the cloning say that It Is up to the people wanting the cloning done, these people are largely uneducated and no matter what they read on the Internet, they still don't understand fully what the science behind cloning Is, none of us do.
So why not wait 20-30 years and wait for the science to full grow, only then will we know the full implications of what cloning will do to the human race, then we can make a moral and educated decision whether to go ahead with human cloning.

Aspirator
Aspirator
12 years ago

How are people even considering using cloning as a way to give loved ones a second life? A person is the result of all the experiences in their life, not their physical attributes. The clone would be a totally diferrent person, defeating the purpose of their creation in this case.

Petros Petrosyan
Petros Petrosyan
12 years ago

Whats so wrong about the old fashion way of making babies. Humans have ****** up everything we have touched, and now we can include human babies to that list. These ***holes should be cloning organs and tissues and not whole humans, if you screw up a cloned kidney, you just have some unusable meat to throw out and start over again; but if a cloned fetus goes wrong, what you have left over is essentially an aborted baby. Not to mention the mother has to carry it for 9 months and give birth to find out if it worked properly.

Xercès Des Stèles
Xercès Des Stèles
12 years ago

missing a relative so much you would want to clone her/him back to life, so weak. cloning is for making arms, legs, hearts or something that is NEEDED like lungs... we don't need your mother to come back, sorry, now you have cut into your mother's cadavre for nothing.

Amanda Balez
Amanda Balez
12 years ago

you know that couple that says walk in our shoes. well they are infertial and when they adopted it fell through, why dont they foster children then if they want a child so bad! And for all the homeless parentless children all over the world. people are just creating new life when there are so many that need help already. They shoueld take the money to help others. Wouldnt it be a setp forward as is cloning to create some kinda welfare for the world and for already living people.

N.Dawn
N.Dawn
12 years ago

So, we can clone blood-thirstly dictators -"Boy's in Brazil" - by the thousands. Great! Need a university full of English Professors? We'll send over a dozen Dr. Dans for a consistent curriculum. Like with nuclear power it just depends on how you use it, right? And how has it been used?

mako kozelj
mako kozelj
12 years ago

I hate human race. especialy when I am being watched becouse people are afraid of me. no reason. All I want is peace

mako kozelj
mako kozelj
12 years ago

baaaaaaaad idea

tom
tom
12 years ago

It has been achieved in some secret underground base. If it's being discussed it's been done.

Stephen Hart
Stephen Hart
12 years ago

Cloning is an unholy violation against nature and must never be allowed. I didn't even watch the documentary - I don't believe in it at all. These kinds of scientists have no reverence for the balance of nature whatsoever.

His Forever
His Forever
12 years ago

According to a Yahoo search, Dr. Zavos has succeeded in cloning 14 embreos in 2009, emplanting 11 into the wombs of four women, but no viable pregnancies resulted. I think until we can perfect clones in animals, cloning in humans shouldn't even be tried.

biohazard
biohazard
12 years ago

well being a clone could have it's benefits. if you can clone you can modify the clone. I FOR ONE WOULD LIKE TO GLOW IN THE DARK!!!
bugging out like tory spelling died!!!!

Paul So
Paul So
12 years ago

It's quite obvious that nature has been cloning for many years such that it perfects the process overtime. I think the problem lies in being able to duplicate the complex process of cloning since we do not anticipate all the important details that are critical to normal growth. I'm quite convinced that if cloning does not produce desirable results (a normal/healthy living being), but rather produces an unhealthy, abnormal, and defective being that is liable to suffering, then it is immoral to clone artificially.

Robyn
Robyn
13 years ago

@Comment guy
Im referring to 50 or 100 years in the future when parents, in their infinite wisdom, want‘designer kids’; the boys looking like the Brad Pitts or George Clooneys and the girls like thevJ-Los or Jennifer Annistons of the day. A time when, because of this technology, there are 10,000 of each out there, or because of this, you have six people in the same school that look alike. It will happen… because people claim to be intelligent doesn’t mean they are. Lindsay Lohan wore a white ‘mini-dress’ to her court hearing for the alleged necklace theft and by week's end the entire stock of white mini-dresses was sold out. People, with all their intelligence, are still lemmings by nature. Nature uses two distinct parents to procreate a new generation with many benefits of genetic diversity; mass cloning will short-circuit that process.

The thing that is really 'retarded'is that man, with all of his knowledge and intellect, cannot seem to look past his ability to advance technology and 'think' in the long run, is it a good idea.

Comment Guy
Comment Guy
13 years ago

@Robyn

I find it funny how people fear cloning when nature has been cloning since the beginning.

Tell me, what is the difference if your identical twin was a rapist? It has the exact same DNA as you. And no, you can't clone fingerprints.

People think cloning will be putting a cell into an easy bake oven and an identical being will pop out fully grown.

And if someone won't to blame rape on you by cloning individuals is retarded. They could do so by taking some of DNA found in your trash bins.

Vitor Mendes
Vitor Mendes
13 years ago

wether we agree with it or not,i believe human cloning is inevitable.

Even if we try and go against it,the advances in technology are so great that will be impossible to stop someone from doing it.

Another thing that might happen is that due to all this advancements,we will be able to live forever.

Like it or not,agree with it or not,its coming.

Note: This website that for some reason i discover only recently its by far my favorite.Thanks Vlatko

Nat Turner
Nat Turner
13 years ago

White people are sick!

Ally
Ally
13 years ago

I was a little horrified to see the technique the scientists have been using to produce clones. When a sperm meets the egg you can witness the flurry of activity as the zygote is being formed - all of the genetic information inside is sorting, matching up and coming together to make a set of instructions to form what will be a living being the moments before it divides. Scientists are clumsily chucking genetic information into an egg and getting all trigger happy with an electric spark - wouldn't introducing a charge from the outside rather than it being produced from within damage or displace some of the genetic information? Another problem is as an living thing grows and the cells divide over and over again the genetic information becomes degraded, like photocopying a picture of the last picture and doing this over and over. Now I'm not against cloning, but come on, they need to get creative and improvise. What if they put a set of 2 of the same genetic material into one ovum and find a way for this process of sorting, matching and coming together of the genetic information to take place to build a firmer set of instructions for example? And Why even think about doing this with human beings until they have it right with animals?? Just to get their name written in the books of history for dirt nap fame? It's quite sickening really.

Robyn
Robyn
13 years ago

What would this do to our legal system if you created say 3 clones of yourself and one was a rapist or a serial killer? DNA would no longer be a reliable forensic tool. Would the fingerprints be different? Just like digital images have cast doubt on the credibility of pictures, cloning would cast doubt on the reliability of DNA results. I see no good coming out of this; it will open a Pandora’s Box of legal issues that our already over burdened court systems wont be able to handle.

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

I feel that cloning a full human is beyond reason. The proposed reasons for full individual cloning are selfish in the least and immoral at the worst. Cloning for the sake of having a child when infertile? As someone else stated fertility treatment has for the most part solved that issue. Cloning an individual due to their inherrant value? The clone is simply genetically identical and genetics do not make the person whole. A cloned Einstein may still be a genious due to his genetics but may grow up tho think that painting abstract elephants with his own excrement is the best way to express his mental prowess. And that hot chick in the office next to you...Her clone may like cake and hate exercise more than the orrigional did and well... And finally, the advancement of medicine. If we are talking organ cloning for transplantation etc. thats fine but it does not require the growth of fully formed individuals. To clone fully formed individuals for that purpose is called organ farming and is a discusting concept. Individually cloned organs can also be used for testing without cloning entire people.
Besides people these days are entirely to self absorbed. Hey everyone it is ok if you die. It is ok to get old and sick. You are not an irreplaceable cog in the world so go out with dignity. You may be missed but that is ok. Often the death of a person is the inspiration of those they were close to to better themselves. And yes maybe your grandson will miss you when you are gone, But is it so important that he has 50-60 years of not coming to visit enough to regrett rather than the 20 we can expect today?

Jake
Jake
13 years ago

The parents with the infertility issue have a point. However, artificial insemination can solve that. No need to go to cloning.
The question is, if theoretically a failure in an attemt to clone a human would result in the PARENT developing a mutation - possibly fatal - would thay still be so eager to go ahead with it? Chances are - not.
If so, why is it ok for them to take this chance at the potential expense of the baby?

I'm not against the concept of cloning per se. But for any attempt to be made with humans before it has been absolutely PERFECTED, is grossly irresponsible, unethical,and a crime.

ProudinUS
ProudinUS
13 years ago

Has anybody watched the movie "Pet Cemetary!"

Bryan
Bryan
13 years ago

I think we'll be living in space before 100 yrs. I also think many will not bother much with the messy biological way of life by then. People stand on this earth today that were born before humanity had powered flight, people have very short memories. The rate of our advancements has already overtaken our needs, the population IS growing, despite all the problems in the world. Nanotech, Biotech, Computing. We're doing "fine". Now, if we can just stop bloody fighting and share, just like Mummy said!

princeton
princeton
13 years ago

@waldo

well since you put it that way..
great post! will look into it

Waldo
Waldo
13 years ago

Over population is as real of a problem as exists. Current growth rates of 1.3 % anually means our population will double every 54 years. This means that in basically 150 years we could be looking at 48 billion people on this earth. Scientists say that at the very most we could possibly sustain about 30 billion, thats if we factor in current crop yeild annual growth rates. This is called the ant farm senario and means every spec of dry land is being cultivated at maximum efficiency and all water is used and reused, every ray of sunlight tapped into to, etc.

Truth is growth rates have been slowing since 1989, and should slow until around 2050 when we would be adding a mere 40 million a year, less than one percent. So lets be optimistic and say two hundred maybe two hundred-fifty years before we reach this crazy number. Still, in the over all scheme of things whats two hundred years? Agricultural advances sacrifice nutrition for yeild and a plant can never yeild more calories than it absorbed. Besides once you factor in pollution we really have a mess, especially considering we have more immediate problems like global warming and the energy crisis that desperately need our attention now.

Make two columns on a piece of paper and in the one on the right, write down all the things you can think of that help the population grow, you know like: medical breakthroughs, eating better, education, longer life expectancy, no smoking, no drugs, etc.
Now in the left hand column write down the things that help reduce the population, like: suicide, murder, abortion, low birth weights, acholism, drug addiction, war, poverty, etc.

Now if you had to choose a way to lower the population, which thing from the list on the left will you choose? None, they are all too horrible- right? This is the dilemma we find ourselves in. We are mortal and therefore we see life as beautiful, preciouse, and valuable. Man has worked toward the things in the right hand list every since he has been, while fighting the things on the left. No one in their right mind enjoys thinking of such things, but we must. For if we do not choose, then nature will. And, nature knows nothing of innocents or fair play, nothing of our delicate sensibilities. Of course this is just an exercise, no one would promote murder or poverty.

All we can hope to do is slow things until science can find the ultimate solution, more than likely leaving this planet to colonize another. Think of how far we have to go to realize that goal, that is how much slower this growth rate needs to be. Otherwise, things are going to get much much worse before they finally end.

Tina
Tina
13 years ago

Those idiots who want to bring their mother back to life who will grow up to be a totally different human being and won't recognize them. They have to give their inheritance back to her.

How about bringing back Al Capone and giving him his money back.

Who cares if you can't have children there are more important things in life they're a lot of people who can't have children. I agree with the comments there are far too many people on earth as it is. There's not enough money or resources to support any more humans.

Tina
Tina
13 years ago

What greedy bastards!!! that couple is risking giving birth to defective children. Who is going to care for these babies who will need extensive medical care? Are they Millionaires to be able to afford doctors, nurses, hospitals etc.? If they are in the US they need at least 10 million dollars for health care costs if they live in Canada - I AM NOT paying taxes for a health risk. Anyone who wants to risk all this should pay their own health care costs no matter what country they're in.

Jerks who don't adopt children that are already living instead of bringing new deformities to life.

princeton
princeton
13 years ago

@capricious
ok.. i may not agree with terry all the way in saying there are no rational arguments against cloning.. but I don't agree that overpopulation is a rational argument against it considering teen pregnancies, third world birth rates. and the fact that cloning costs 50k per attempt atm.. and also..
I don't buy this overpopulation mess.. the problem is not overpopulation, the problem is mismanagement of resources and the oppression of the majority of the human population.. not the fact that they exist.. every human being is highly valuable.. if allowed and given the opportunity to flourish.

I strongly disagree with the initiation of the use of force to prevent some completely voluntary process. if people agree to pay and give their cells in the hopes a new life can be created, you have no right to get in their business.. when someone gets hurt, then you may step in to protect them, but otherwise, bud out!... and please spare me that life is sacred hooplah... tell that to the cockroaches you "RAID" and the "life" your immune system kills on a daily basis

Robyn
Robyn
13 years ago

After watching this video it appears that there are other processes that go on during the natural fertilization process that do not occur in cloning. Maybe when only one parent is used in the fertilization process of cloning, a system of checks and balances is not introduced. We think that when a sperm enters an egg and the DNA from the sperm enters, that this is the only process that occurs, but it is not. The collar and the tail on the sperm falls off, the egg becomes impregnable by other sperm and the DNA from both ‘parents’ start to align. These are just the obvious processes, what about the processes that decide if the fertilization should take place. There are chemical processes that take place in order for these to happen, and with most chemical processes there is a by-product…perhaps these by-products are necessary and missing ingredients.

The science of choosing a mate has shown that women pick a male partner that has genetic qualities that are beneficial to offspring, like resistance to diseases. Cloning for barren couples can by-pass this checkpoint by overcoming natural evolutionary barriers that may have a definite and beneficial reason to prevent fertilization from two specific individuals.

Sure there are problems with natural fertilization: Usually from genetic abnormalities from one or more of the parents. By perfecting the actual cloning process without completely understanding the hows and whys is, in my opinion, inviting the possibility for calamitous genetic situations for future generations…after all we are bypassing the natural evolutionary process that got us this far.

StrangerThanFiction
StrangerThanFiction
13 years ago

Yeah it sounds like a great idea! We can Bring back George Washington and elect him president again! We can bring back 2pac to diss all these fake MC! We can bring back Einstien! Christopher Reeves! Michael Jackson! Jesus! heck Judas, Hitler GIlbert Godfree! wait no im totally against cloning the negatives out weight the positive. Who wants to open the door to ZOmbieland?

Frostbeard
Frostbeard
13 years ago

I guess we don't really know what would happen. How do we know unless we try?
Religion always sticks their nose in everything. Religion seems to fear human progression.
I find the argument much like Gay Marriage. Why do you even care? I don't care, get married if yer gay!
Clone away!

Jacob
Jacob
13 years ago

I think cloning will be a great thing in the right environment. They put a lot of work into deciding whether someone should adopt or have artificial insemination - they can put the same care into the decisions about cloning.

Teamtigerpaw
Teamtigerpaw
13 years ago

Wow!!!!!!!!!! Just watched this one and my head is really spinning. I truly love the science but truly think the time is just not right. In as much as I respect and admire what the Wright Brothers accomplished if given the task and budget to put a man in orbit I’m sure it would have resulted in a catastrophe. Just my 2 cents Thanks for Posting

capricious
capricious
13 years ago

Temy,

If you don't consider over-population a "rational argument", I suggest you double check the definitions of those two words.

Temy
Temy
13 years ago

I have yet to hear any rational argument against cloning. Most people are always fools about medical progress.

commentator
commentator
13 years ago

If we prevent cloning nothing will happen, but if we try, we'll find mistakes, we will correct it and once we become successful we will make it better and we will advance, the loss are worthy of exchange for our own advancement in the fields of science and the rest of humanity, I believe cloning will be useful in the future.

nononono
nononono
13 years ago

I do not agree with this at all. I'm sorry, but we go too far with technology. We've already got too much for our own good. This cloning is very bad, in my opinion. I respect science, and the desire to reach great heights and that, but this is very wrong, they need to leave this alone. They're creating living things using chemicals. But they're still living things, and they're suffering terribly! They need to have the sense to stop this on animals and never, ever try this on humans.

Ramus
Ramus
13 years ago

1000 Chimpanzees with typewriters are asked to make a page of English words.
Baby making the natural way takes all the pages and combines it into something readable.
IVF takes all the pages but has trouble reading them and makes something passable.
Cloning picks a random page hasn't got a clue what it says and makes a complete mess.

Arnold Vinette
Arnold Vinette
13 years ago

I was surprised upon watching this show how current cloning really works. Based on how a real cell is fertilized and begins to grow I found it amazing that cloned eggs work at all.

From what I have seen there are going to be many sad and distraught parents when these cloning technics go badly wrong.

I was watching the couple who were adamant that they wanted a child any child even if it was badly deformed from the cloning procedure. Words are so cheap. This is easier said than realized. And what about the child that gets born flawed or deformed or in incredible pain? How do the parents explain to that child that they wanted it at any price. ANY PRICE!

Sometimes that price may be too high for the child.

Some people are just not meant to have children. They need to learn to live with this fact.

From everything I have seen in this program the current cloning process is not ready for humans. The entire concept seems to be wrong and unnatural in every way. That it works at all is a complete mystery to me.

With regards to the scientists who want to do the cloning it is obvious that they will justify any reason to do it and be the first. The scientists really do not know what they are doing and they really do not care.

What they want is to be able to work and experiment of desperate couples who want a child. A couple that is willing to spend $50,000 a shot for the opportunity of having a cloned baby.

Both sides are deluding themselves. Only a series of tragedies will stop the cloning experiments on humans. And unfortunately I fear that there will be a lot of tears, broken marriages and traumatized people as a result of these human cloning attempts.

Based on what I have seen the odds of a successful healthy cloned baby will be 1 in 100,000 based on everything that can go wrong with the DNA switches.

Human baby clones = twins are not clones made like the doctors using one human cell.

Based on the complexity of generating life using the combination of male and female DNA (sperm and egg) which requires all the switches to work successfully I simply cannot see how a mature single cell of a living creature can make a new living creature.

I mean do scientists today really know what is in a female egg to begin with and how it interacts with the male sperm. How the DNA unzips to reform and start the process? Why do scientists think that mature cell DNA can successfully make a new living creature? (Other than the obvious fact that it has been done. So why is it not repeatable? What is wrong with the mature cell DNA?)

Another approach is needed that more closely resembles nature which is the invitro fertilization.

My opinions on this dangerous human cloning experiment that is giving desperate wannabe parents false hopes that will later traumatize them.

Arnold Vinette
Ottawa, Canada