Cloning

[apotheosis]

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx?id=609948

I'm personally for unrestricted scientific research, so I'm against all banning of reproductive cloning.

Science is paramount to human success and moral restrictions on it inhibits human progress. Cloning humans could open up the possibilities of someday separating sex and reproduction entirely. Sex will become purely a recreational activity and reproduction can become a well thought out, logical and carefully calculated activity for two individuals who are ready to have children.

[Locke]

I'm a pretty moral person, and against research that destroys embryos or has more than a negligible increased risk of birth defects. Those aside, if cloning techniques become safe enough to use on humans, I don't have the issues many seem to with it. To be honest, when the possibility arose after they cloned that sheep years back, I was slightly disgusted with the immediate backlash of fear, "playing God" arguments, and even legislation that followed. I've often wondered what all the fuss is about; it's just a developing science like any other. Like all science it has some potential for misuse, but that shouldn't stop us from responsibly reaping the benefits.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

I'm pretty much echoing the sentiments of Locke and apoth here. If we can one day come to a point where we can engineer people -- well then, more power to us. Evolution marches inexorably onward. Whatever can be done should be done. This is what it means to be human. To explore new frontiers. I do have some qualms with the human embryo stuff. Surely, however, we can rationally reach a compromise.

We must move beyond language, even -- a very imperfect means of communication. We must learn to organize our thoughts in different ways. Language is great -- but it restricts many elements of rationalization. As it stands it is an untempered way of communicating and thinking. We must utilize our brains better. As it stands, we do not utilize this organ efficiently.

I think this outrageous notion that we are 'playing God' is the thinking of simpletons. It's outdated. As is religion. Religion is destroying us (among other things) -- as a world. It over simplifies things. We as humans are looking for easy answers. Well, guess what, folks? THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS. Religion spawns fanatical hatred and mistrust. It is a set of blinders on our path forward. And Human growth cannot be stymied. What CAN be accomplished WILL be. It's time for the antiquated world views of centuries past to be abolished. This starts with us here in America and other first world nations. We owe it to ourselves.

I think we, the younger generation, are looked down upon. But we are underestimated. These fucking "baby boomers". Fuck 'em. What did they do? Nothing. Woodstock? Wow. Good job there, folks. Bunch of whiney assholes getting high on acid. Profound.

God is something far more complex than our simple human brains can ever comprehend. God is not he or she. God is everything. And everything is God. There is no God. There is only greater meaning. Surely there is more to this world than any man or woman can ever hope to know.

The spark of divinity is a seed planted in all of us. Morality is a base instinct.

The people who claim to know "God's heart" are the true blasphemers. What gall. To think you, a mere glorified animal, could ever hope to understand the TRUE nature of this Universe. Blasphemy.

The more we learn, the more we realize how much we do not know. We must utilize science to advance our species - or we will become extinct.

Although, as I look around at the idiots surrounding me, maybe this is best. All that being said, to those who are religious: MORE POWER TO YOU. It is your right as a human to exercise your beliefs. See, unlike you, I do not judge you. Well, maybe I do. But at least I'm not pushing my beliefs on others.

I know nothing about anything.

Well, maybe I DO know one thing. This is the truly enlightened stance.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

Although that was a bit preachy.

It really is a horrible Universe. I think it's okay to hate this place. But it's also okay to experiment. I mean, if we can make people who are NORMAL and free of cancer and shit like that. GREAT. Right?

Many would disagree.

Really though I think some random object hurdling through the cosmos and taking out this entire planet might be in the best interest of everyone.

Somebody better touch my body.

[End Master]

So are we going for cloning full humans or just replacement parts?

I'd say just go for replacement parts if it's possible since in that case cloning full humans seems rather pointless since we're only going to have to chop 'em up for parts later on, unless we're planning to make working "slaves" out of them. Then you're going to get a bunch of people against it, the clones will eventually get wise to the fact and start rebelling and that will result in a bunch of hassle.

And unless someone's going to be doing some heavy duty social engineering on society, it's not like people aren't going to still get pregnant the old fashioned way. I doubt if everyone is going to be keen on the idea of just cloning themselves as a way of reproducing. And "mistakes" are going to still happen with horny teenagers. Not to mention there's enough idiotic humans around on the planet now, don't really need idiotic clones of them too.

However there is one amusing idea...

1. Clone yourself

2. Get your clone a sex change

3. Go fuck yourself

4. ???

5. Profit!

Anyway, I have no problem with playing "god" just pointing out some potential problems.

[Usoki]

We'd have to clone parts only. If we clone a whole being, suddenly we've created a life. And who are we to kill that life just to make our lives better? The originals, that's who...but the clones'd bitch, and I'm sure there'd be all sorts of hippies who'd join in.

[Vesnic]

EndMaster stole that line from the Underpants Gnomes!!

Still, it'd be sweet to get a new neck, though preferably someone else's since my clone would have the same genetic misery I do.

[End Master]

I've seen that line a lot of times in various forms on the internet, I never knew where it originally came from though. It just seemed approps here.

With this new info though I can now actually look up the original source and find out why and how it got so popular in the first place.

EDIT: OH! Duh, it was from a South Park episode. Shit, I'm so out of the damn loop. I still don't remember seeing that one though.

[Vesnic]

http://www.watchtvsitcoms.com/SouthPark/S02E17.php

Give this a whirl.

I laughed so hard the first time I saw that episode, I quite literally pissed my pants. Try as I might to eliminate the evidence, the couch still smelled like pee when my mom got home. Naturally, I blamed the dog. She was tired from her day, stressed to the max by her asshole misogynist of a boss, and well into her third shot of vodka, so she took out her rage on poor Fluffy, kicking him straight across the living room. I'm sure this shortened his lifespan. At the very least, it created a psychological trauma for which he had to seek doggy counseling for the next five years. Yet, despite so many negative associations, I still love the underpants gnomes.

We won't stop till we find underpants!

[End Master]

She was tired from her day, stressed to the max by her asshole misogynist of a boss

I seriously had to reread that again. For a moment I thought you said your Mom got her asshole stretched by her misogynistic boss.

[Vesnic]

Hahahaha! I wouldn't necessarily rule that out.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

'Underpants gnomes' is definitely a classic ep.

"Gotta go to work, work all day, yumdum dummy-dum day. We won't stop until we find underpants, yum-dum-dummy-dum-day!"

Or somethin' like that.

I'm still waiting for someone to touch my body.

[Hi! My name is: Katie]

I am generally not an advocate for cloning. I don't care if people want to play god or whatever. I don't live in fear of Battlestar Galactica-like societies. I don't really want to share the planet. I'm sharing more than I'd like as it is. Not that I feel entitled to more, I just sometimes feel a bit crowded.

With that said, I'll tell you what I AM in favor of replicating: All the FUCKING songs and stories, and story plots, and ideas I lost when I took my computer in for repairs. It took years to accumulate that stuff and now it's gone. All because I trusted my ability to save to an external hard drive. No more: Cats, Rocky Horror, Wicked, or Les Mis. No more Mozart, Chopin, or that guy whose name doesn't sound like it should start with a T (the nut cracked dude.) No more John Mayer(not a total loss I guess...) no more Christina Aguilera, and tragically no more Eminem. No more Mammas and Papas. No more Frank Sinatra, No more Louis Armstrong. So, I'm not in favor of cloning humans, but I am in favor of cloning music, in fact, I'm in favor of cloning it to my computer. :: sigh :: Dammit.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

Eminem's old shit. Motha fuck yeh, boooy.
*yawns* Forget a chorus -- my metaphors are so complicated
it takes six minutes to get applause (yay)
And by the time you all catch on, I'ma end your career
and walk away with the whole floor so you have nothin to fallback on!
I'll throw you off of ten floors .. *AHHHHHHH*
Pull a fuckin headache outta my head, and put it in yours! (takethis)

Aww ye. Thats tha good shit right thar.

I'm on some shroom shit
If it's missing I took it
Nurse look at this straight jacket it's crooked!

[End Master]

Hey anyone ever see that movie Parts: The Clonus Horror? It's a neat concept for a movie, but the acting is terrible. Mystery Science 3000 did a really funny episode with it.

Basically they keep these clones living in an isolated society and condition them be physically healthy and brainwash them. Naturally there are rich and powerful people funding this project.

When the time comes, they pick out which ones they need and say they've won a trip to America (Which is constantly mentioned during the propaganda sessions of how it's a great place to go) The clone is then given a farewell party by everyone, and then secretly chopped up for parts.

[Vesnic]

Aw, Katie, that's a big bummer about your computer. I have a lot of the stuff you mentioned, though, if you ever want me to send you some songs I'd be happy to. (And about Tchaikovsky's name, it's a Cyrillic letter that doesn't have an exact equivalent in our language so I guess the vodka-infused dumbass who invented the English spelling figured that "tch" made the most sense...)

Chubby, would you like for me to touch you?

[Usoki]

Basically they keep these clones living in an isolated society and condition them be physically healthy and brainwash them. Naturally there are rich and powerful people funding this project.

When the time comes, they pick out which ones they need and say they've won a trip to America (Which is constantly mentioned during the propaganda sessions of how it's a great place to go) The clone is then given a farewell party by everyone, and then secretly chopped up for parts.

Didn't they do a remake of this plotline a few years back?

[End Master]

Yeah, it was called "The Island". I never saw that version of it though.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

Chubby, would you like for me to touch you?

Yes. I feel it's only fair to warn you, though. I have leprosy, smallpox, and several drug-resistant strains of HIV.

I just saw this news report though on the rising tide of drug-reisistant STDs being spread. It's getting to the point where on a first date both parties will need to submit a doctor's note before engaging in any intimacy.

That's why when I hire prostitutes I just op for the $5 handjob. It's safer. It's all about safety!

[apotheosis]

If they have been deceased for at least a day most of the sexually transmitted infections in their body die off. You even get the oozy discharge associated with decomposition as lube. An added bonus! :)

[donteatpoop]

If they have been deceased for at least a day most of the sexually transmitted infections in their body die off. You even get the oozy discharge associated with decomposition as lube. An added bonus!

Thread won. Congrats, apoth.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

Pretty much. I mean, where would we go from here?

I usually only take part in these childish banterings between you drug-deprived losers to drag the conversation down -- down, along with me, into the endless abyss.

We've hit the bottom here...and quite messily -- we fell very fast, you see. There's no where else to go but up from here.

My job has been done by apoth. Feels nice for once. Not to be the cause. Thank you, apoth. For that. That and nothing else. Whatever. Whatsoever in all eternity. That's it. That's all I'll ever thank you for.

In fact, kiss my ass you queer. :D

No, seriously though.

:confused:

[apotheosis]

It was my pleasure.