This picture was posted on my father's blog and all I can say is what the hell? Discovering that had to add a surreal touch to his day...
did nobody watch Dark Angel?
Scientists want to fuse human cells with animal eggs to create mixed-species embryos
Yup, you heard me. Read more here. This is a topic where I could potentially rabbit on for ages because it is such a can or worms. But I think we really are starting to head in to a time where things written of not so long ago are starting to happen fo' real. But because I don't have enough time to go in to this topic in any depth right now, I'll be brief: I understand that genetic research is, on some level, "necessary" but I also firmly believe that humans are far too curious and will fiddle with things as much as they can and eventually fuck them up. In actual fact I am super-torn on this issue. The tree-hugging-hippie part of me wants to say, "There's a cycle to things and we're made the way we are for a reason* so why mess with the fundamental nature of things? You're screwing with the fabric of the universe in a way." The other part tells me that that is an incredibly naive point of view and that things are far more complicated than that and that some of this fiddling with the fundamentals is necessary. And while those two are fighting it out, I have a third person on the sideline watching in amusement but who is thinking: This is all well and good and they might say that if you can mix animal and human DNA to make a combo embryo that it's illegal to let it grow to the point where it's a "real" personimal** but if it can be done someone will do it. Why? Because they can. Because it's human nature. Because we're envelope pushers. And I really do believe that that in the end we're going to f*ck ourselves over because of it. Curiosity killed the cat? HA! Cats have nothing on us...
* which is where my inner existentialist sniggers, then thinks better of it, coughs politely to get my attention and says with a sceptically raised eyebrow, "A reason? As in a greater purpose? As in a grand design? As in exactly that which you have decided doesn't exist?" At this point I wrinkle my nose, squint my eyes and tell it to piss off. This is more about balance which is a different kettle of fish all together. My IE looks at me with both eyebrows raised now, clearly believing that I'm taking the easy way out of this debate. Which I am. So sue me.
** a whole can of worms I'm not even gonna open right now but I ask you (and I haven't even decided my own personal answer on this one)- at what point does it become a "real boy"?
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