Reservations

It is known for people to be afraid of the unknown. We all have our reservations and fear the uncertainty of what might happen next, especially when it comes to scientific research. The question always comes up if what we are doing is right or ethical. But, there is always the curiosity that wins over and we continue our research.

Good thing the saying “Curiosity killed the cat” is not always true. Am I right or am I right? Otherwise, I think we would be in serious trouble.

The downfall of medical research is that not everyone is informed completely of the facts, such in the case of cloning. This causes for people to trust and base their opinions on how the media interprets the research being done. In the case of cloning, there have been so many movies, shows and books done on the subject that the truth and facts got lost in translation.

So what do we know of cloning based on the media? Well we know that babies can be created in labs, that adult humans can be cloned, that you can create a clone army and that clones can be produced to harvest their organs. Doesn’t sound all good, does it? Good thing this is all science fiction right? The problem being is that people still base their opinions on such science fiction. So they are ignorant to the truth and form their bias opinions. Some people might say it is cool and others might say it is morally wrong. So who is right? I like to think that everyone is entitled to their opinion and that there is some truth in what everyone says.

All we can do is educate ourselves on the subject matter. We need to get all our facts straight and from their form our own opinions. We cannot let other’s opinions and works influence us to the point that we become parrots and mimic what we are fed by the media and people’s opinions that have no foundation but that of their own beliefs.

It sounds like we all have to do a little research. Although it might be a bit boring, it is worthwhile. This way everyone’s opinions can be well founded and backed up.

I don’t mean to preach, but it would be nice to get some educated opinions when it comes to cloning. I am not saying that none exist, but the general public has the right to make their own educated remarks to and that will be made easier if they were educated on the subject at hand.

So let’s break out our laptops and books and start reading!

Voice through Stem Cell Research

You have to admit that when you are researching for anything in the science and technology fields, it is hard not to come by anything that isn’t dry and filled with facts. Even when I was researching for blogs, all the ones I came across were filled with scientific facts and research, and really didn’t have any personal voice in them. Although the writer was making an argument, I really could not tell through their writing how they really felt about a topic. After a few tries I ran across the human cloning foundation blogspot, that to my surprise contained many blog posts that had plenty of voice. Specifically the ones written by Ma Tingnu. You would think most activist to be against human cloning and that they would be the ones with the most voice, but Ma is quite the contrary. She is an activist for human cloning research. Rather than going the really scientific route, she is able to tie in certain subjects like movies and well known people to make her points which makes it easier for the readers who really have never heard of human cloning and its ethical dilemmas to understand better. The real key to her being personable and easy to read is the voice that comes through her writing. 

One of her strong posts is titled “Human Cloning and the Bible.” In this posts she talks about if whether or not clones would believe in the bible. Her argument is that like any other individual, clones will make their own decision and choose whether or not they believe in the bible. She is able to have a strong voice with this argument by creating an array of moods in her short post. In the beginning she starts with a matter of fact and disbelief approach. She manages this by using strong diction with phrases such as, “utter lack of knowledge” and “Godless, soul-less beings.” Through these phrases you can really here her anger and passion on the subject, which she also shows towards the end of her post where she uses an exclamation point to emphasize her argument. Although, she shows a strong argumentive voice in various places, she is also able to show a more upbeat and persuasive voice. To make a connection with the reader she brings in widely known figures such as Stephen Hawkings which provides a common ground for the reader and helps her persuasion. At the end of the post she brings out her more upbeat and joyful voice by using words and phrases such as, “silly questions” and “Heck.” Such techniques can be seen throughout her other posts.

Here is the link to the post “Human cloning and the Bible”: http://humancloningfoundation.blogspot.com/2011/02/human-cloning-and-bible.html

Another example of her strong voice can be seen in the post titled, “Roaring Ahead.” Although she starts off by quoting a scientist and then going to talk about medical and research breakthroughs, you are able to see her usual strong voice at the end were she wraps up her argument and post. Again, she shows her passion and persuasion through strong and elaborate diction. An example of this can be seen in the sentence, “Hope is no longer a flickering light, but a steady beam shining ever brighter.” Her analogy, although it sounds a bit over the top, really ties in to the post nicely that it does not seem out of place and really conveys her thoughts on the subject of cloning and stem cell research. She then goes on to finish her post with, “Let it roar ahead, indeed!” This shows her excitement on the subject which is emphasized by her choice to tie in the title of her post and usage of an exclamation point. As you can tell her voice is pretty consistent throughout her post, which make them a fun read.

Here is the link to the post “Roaring Ahead”: http://humancloningfoundation.blogspot.com/2011/01/roaring-ahead.html

So, if you are interested in reading posts full of passion and argument feel free to check Ma Tingnu out! 

In the http://humancloningfoundation.blogspot.com/

A Profile on the Blogger of The Genetic Engineering Debate

Sometimes it is a bit hard to find a blogger that has unique edge to a topic you have researching for a while now. Well lucky me I was able to find one.

Ramsey Affifi is the blogger for The Genetic Engineering Debate and he is in the education business. He is interested in “the relationship between pure and applied science, between knowledge and technology, between reflection and action, sustainability and changeability, between science and spirituality” (Affifi, profile). All his interest are what give his blog about Genetics a very interesting edge. He is able to capture his readers not through his angle but through the information he provides.

He is not completely against genetically modifying organisms (GMOs), but he does believe that everyone should be informed of the risks and the technical information that we are not told by researchers and companies that perform such experiments. He believes that these companies and researchers should teach us about the risks and not just the benefits. His most interesting argument revolves in him believing that the activist against GMOs should not just focus on the ethical portion of the issue but should inform themselves of the scientific risks and how that can affect humanity.

Although, Affifi does not blog very often only once a month to once every few months, his posts are very detailed, researched and lengthy that the reader does not feel like they are missing out between posts. Also, in his blogroll he provides other blogs that have to do exactly what he is talking about, so if you feel like you need more information or a different perspective, he provides that for his readers. Overall he seems to be very dedicated to this topic which even shows in his blogroll and the length of time he has been blogging about it. Affifi, has been blogging since May 2007. He has had only 472 views to his page, but by the comments his readers leave on his posts we can tell that they appreciate the information. He does not receive many comments, but from the ones he does receive he gets positive feedback and suggestions on how to strengthen and back up his argument. Affifi does not respond to all the comments he receives, but the ones he does respond to, he makes sure to take his time and really address what the reader has to say. If he does not agree with what the comment stated, he backs up his argument with evidence and tells the reader he does understand where they are coming from but still holds to his opinion. His dedication and connectivity with the reader also shows in the length of his responses. Rather than having a couple sentences for a response, most of the time he responds with full on paragraphs.

Another interesting part of his blog is that Raffifi, has split his blog between 5 different subjects. The way he managed to do this is by creating 5 different tabs with categories that all have to do with his overall blog of The Genetic Engineering Debate.

The 5 tabs are:

-          Science of GMOs

-          The Education Wars

-          Taking Action

-          GMOs and Children

-          Food Security

Each tab contains posts pertaining to each category but they always tie back to his dominant subject which is the education of the public on GMOs. The separation between these categories gives an interesting insight into his voice and way of thinking. On some posts, like the ones under Science of GMOs, he takes on a more matter of fact, straight to the point, research paper voice. He provides the facts and his arguments and backs them up with research he sites at the end of each of his posts. This might sound boring, but he manages to make it engaging and relatable to the general public, that you would not mind reading it. On the other hand, certain posts like some under the category Taking Action, are a little less formal and shows his more animated side.  He still informs you, but at the same time he keeps you engaged with his rantier manner of writing.

So you can get a better idea of what I am talking about check out the two summaries I have provided from different posts Raffifi has made.

Unpredictable Genes

                In this posts rather than taking the nature vs nurture angle that many activists take, he focuses on the scientific proof. He goes into depth in the sciences behind genes and chromosomes and how they function. He also relates it back to human behavior, but still keeping the scientific evidence to back it up. It is a very interesting read. Even though, the post reads like a research paper, he makes the material interesting enough that you don’t mind reading it.

http://thegeneticengineeringdebate.blogspot.com/2014/08/unpredictable-genes-or-why-you-should.html

The Powerful Potential of Anti – GMO Cyber Citizens!

                This posts although still deals with research and data, it is lively and full of voice. It talks about a survey done to people through the company Smucker’s Facebook Page. His writing is less matter of fact and more story like which is different from his usual research posts. He uses analogies to compare the results of the survey to how bees function, which was very clever. Furthermore, he is still realistic and engaging even though he has taken a different approach to his writing. Definitely a fun and quick read!

http://thegeneticengineeringdebate.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-powerful-potential-of-anti-gmo.html

Raffifi is definitely a blogger worth checking out. So if he sounds interesting or you just want to learn more about genetics this is the blog for you!

Here is the link to check his blog out:

http://thegeneticengineeringdebate.blogspot.com/

A Reflection on “Never Let Me Go”

For those who haven’t watched the movie here is a quick overview.

The film tells the story of three clones, Kathy H, Ruth C and Tommy D. During their childhood the clones reside in a type of boarding school that is specifically dedicated for children like them. The school is called Hailsham. There they spend majority of their childhood till they are teenagers. While they are at Hailsham the clones are constantly monitored with tracking devices and are regularly checked upon by a doctor to make sure they are in perfect health. Once the three main characters are teenagers they are moved a community of cottages. Here they are offered a bit more freedom. This is where they await their fate. These clones are destined to become organ donors until they die. All three characters struggle with the idea of who they were cloned from and try to find a way to prolong their fate as much as possible. Sadly it does not work. Ruth C is the first one to pass then followed by Tommy D. The only one left in the end is Kathy H who is informed that it is her turn to donate.

Let me first start by saying that although I consider this film to be good it still took a toll on me. Let us just say I was not a very happy person when I finished watching it. If anything I felt furious! Yeah I know, it is just a movie and things like that are not likely to happen. Well we don’t know that for sure now do we? Anyways getting back to the film. Like I was saying I thought this film was pretty good and I felt like it conveyed quite a lot in terms of our human nature, pressure by society and technological advancements that we even face now.

A question that is presented in the film is that if we were able to have a cure for cancer and for any disease that existed would we choose to retract from that just to save a few clones? Most people would say that if it is for the better good than why change things. You know the saying kill a few and save more. Well essentially that is what happening in this film. Then the moral dilemma rises. Is it right to treat these clones who are humans and have feelings of their own as cattle? I personally would not be okay with this. Someone can then ask me what if it was a relative of mine that was dying and that harvesting a clone’s organs was the only way to save them. I would say no. There is a natural order to things and I believe that we should never trade one life for another. It just isn’t right.

Then there is the whole issue that these clones are humans and that they too have feelings of their own and want lives of their own. Towards the end Kathy and Tommy try to find a way to prolong their donations but fail. Their natural instincts and human nature was to find a way to be with each other as long as they were able to. We humans always try to find purpose in life or at least try to cling to something that makes us feel happy. These clones aren’t any different.

Think about it this way… would you be willing to kill essentially what is a human being to save another? 

Bookmarking Soul Mate? I think so

Doesn't it frustrate you when you can’t find anyone who is tagging articles that are useful to the topic you are currently researching? Well believe me I had a hell of a time finding someone who actually tagged more than one decent article on cloning. So after countless hours of searching….haha just kidding it didn’t take that many hours but it took a while, I finally found someone who tagged various articles dealing with cloning.

So without further ado… drumroll please….. I would like to introduce Rudy Garns!

I just happened to stumble upon him while I was on diigo.com.

A little bit about Rudy: he is a philosopher who is interested in the philosophy of mind, evolution and technology. Pretty cool huh? Well if you want to learn more about him you can view his profile on diigo.

Now to get to why I actually chose to follow this guy.

His library of tagged articles on cloning didn’t all have to do with the ethics behind cloning and whether it is right or wrong which was very refreshing. His tagged articles ranged from the ethics behind cloning to the technology behind it and its applications. His library even had an article dealing with cloning on a legal basis called “United Nations Will Reassess Ban on Human Cloning”. I will definitely be reading that article pretty soon.

Rudy’s library did not only focus on human cloning which was nice. He also included some articles on animal cloning. The article that caught my attention the most on animal cloning was “Man’s Best Friend Forever: Cloning dogs for love and profit.” Should be an interesting read.

Finally to the main reason why I chose to follow Rudy!

Although my research mainly has to do with human cloning, I could not resist to be captivated by two things in Rudy’s library.

The first one was an article called “Why we should resurrect Neanderthals.” Like who wouldn’t want to read that article. Just imagine Neanderthals just walking among us. Scary? Yeah I would think so. Interesting? Definitely! Imagine all the possibilities! Honestly, the first thing that popped into my head was that movie Encino Man, you know the one with Brendan Fraser in it were he is a caveman…. Just thought I should share that.

If you haven’t seen it, well here is a picture so you can get an idea of what I am talking about:

Anyways moving on…. The second gem in Rudy’s library is a collection of links titled… “Clones, Drones and Cyborgs.” How cool is that?! I don’t think I would of ever had stumbled upon this anywhere else or even thought of researching drones and cyborgs. The collection of articles under this group range from technology, a bit of Sci-fi, ethics to what makes us humans. This collection has 144 links so believe me there is plenty to read. If you are into cyborgs or learning about extending a human’s life span to about 500 years this is definitely the place to start.

And if you are researching about clones or just happen to be looking for an interesting read just visit Rudy’s library.

https://www.diigo.com/profile/Rgarns

Believe me you’ll definitely find something that catches your eye.

Playing God

When I was a little girl I was thought by my mom to pray every night and to believe in god. I was told he was the creator of all things including us humans. So I grew up…..and yes I still have the same beliefs. It is kind of hard to believe in anything else when it has been drilled into you. Not that I mind of course.

When you believe that god is the creator of all things it is crazy to think otherwise.

So what about human cloning? If it ever became possible to do would it not be considered an act against god? Wouldn't those people helping create clones be considered to be playing god?

It’s funny the first thing that pops up into my head when the phrase “playing god” comes up is the movie Jurassic Park III. There is a scene in the movie where one of the characters asks Dr. Grant (the main character in all of the Jurassic park movies except for the second one) if that was how dinosaurs were made (they were in a lab) and Dr. Grant replies that no it wasn't, that that was how you played god.

Have you ever noticed that most movies that have to do with cloning like Jurassic Park and Star Wars among other ones end very badly. People either get eaten or an entire government goes to shit. Don’t get me wrong these movies are usually pretty good but you would think we might pick something up from them. Like cloning most of the time doesn't lead to anything good. But hey why should we worry and give a shit?Apparently we are the superior race so it doesn't matter what the hell we do.

How are we to know what the future of cloning will bring? Are the clones, if ever created, going to be like an ordinary person or are they going to serve a single purpose? You know like in Superman where the people of Krypton were designed to serve a specific purpose and they would never be able to do anything else. I am not saying this is going to be the case but if it is then we might as well be taking free will and throwing to the fucken trash.

Honestly, if you think about it, if cloning ever became possible and those clones were developed to serve a specific purpose wouldn't we become expendable? That would really suck. What the hell are we supposed to do then? Just waddle around till we go extinct? Yeah I know that sounds really dramatic but hey you never know what can happen. Not too long ago we didn't even know what the hell a computer was and now we can’t even live without them.

I know cloning and genetics can bring a lot of useful things to the table but there is always going to be that one person who will try to twist their research and pretend they are doing something good but rather they are doing it for their own benefit which most of the times ends terribly. Almost like Frankenstein and his monster.

Are we really ready to bring all of this upon us? Are we willing to give cloning a chance knowing that there isn't certainty in it? 

No Past and No Sense of Direccion

What makes us human? Besides the obvious things that literally define us as humans like the ability to speak and our unique body composition among other things, what really makes us humans is the ability to retain our memories and the life experiences we encounter and learn from them. Our experiences and life encounters are the things that mold us into what we end up becoming as adults.

So what if we didn’t have those experiences and those memories to define us how would feel and what would be our view of life? We most likely wouldn’t know how we should live our lives and wouldn’t know where exactly we should fit. At least, when a person suffers from memory loss they still have natural instincts and habits that remained from their lived lives.

So what if a human didn’t have memories, live experiences or even instinct that remained from habits that were practiced for a life time? This would be the case for a clone that never had the chance to live a life into adulthood. In other words, a clone that was cloned to be an adult and never went through the process of being a child or even a teenager.

Yes I know, it sounds like a cheesy sci-fi movie but if it becomes possible to clone a human being so that it is “born” as baby and can mature wouldn’t it eventually be possible to clone an adult so the clone is “born” as an adult? It could probably happen.

Soooo if this ever became possible it would be worse than being a clone that had the chance to mature like any other human conceived through traditional means.

Imagine yourself as a person who just randomly appeared in this world with no past and no idea who you are. You have a blank mind and most likely only have the basic functions programmed into you like the ability to use the restroom and the ability to speak. You open your mouth to speak but your voice is unfamiliar to you. You are told that you are a creation and you don’t know what that even means. You are disoriented and don’t even know what you are supposed to do. You don’t even know how to react to the information you are being given about your origin. As a natural instinct that every human has you might start to feel anxious and feel scared but you don’t even know what those feelings mean or how they are affecting you.

Even of the thought of going through all of that make me anxious. To not even know how fear feels is frightening. I would never wish that upon anyone.

If anyone in the future ever comes to you and asks you if you want to be part of a cloning experiment, I would suggest that you think about it twice even if it sounds appealing and cool. You could possibly be helping create a clone of yourself that has no past or memories. Scary, I know. 

Clones, Genetically Engineered Humans and Society

In my previous blog posts I have been focusing more on the research and theoretical part of genetic engineering and cloning. What I haven’t really focused on is how a genetically engineered person or clone would fit into our society. Think about it, our society even if we like to think otherwise, is not very welcoming to those who are different. I know some people are welcoming, but as a mass if they feel like they are being threatened or that something exists that goes against everything they believe in they will turn against it.

Up till now just the mention of genetically engineered people or clones scares people or at least makes them uneasy. Cloning and genetically engineering people has never been accomplished before which is exactly the reason why people don’t trust it. We as human tend to cling on to what we know, so when something comes around that doesn’t make sense to us we don’t want to be open minded.

You may ask, if clones and genetically engineered humans are in fact humans why should we not trust them or welcome them into our society? As a matter of fact I ask myself the same question. To put this case in to perspective I want to compare it to artificial insemination. When I refer to artificial insemination in this case I refer to a women getting inseminated by the sperm of a person she does not know and is a currently a single mother. A few years ago, when artificial insemination started to come about, plenty of people were against it and people are still against it. Some may say it is not natural to do such things. The process in itself is viewed as unnatural but what about the person that is born through these means? How do they fit into our society? You would never be able to tell if a person was created through natural reproduction (in other words from intercourse between a man and a women) or through artificial insemination. But, as soon as it is known that a person was created through artificial insemination people will automatically have a different view of that person. I have seen cases where the child suffers greatly because they don’t know where exactly they come from. Yes, they know who their mother is but what about their father. The mother would not even be able to give the name of the father to the child. So now imagine if a person was not even born from a mother.

Genetically engineered people or clones would have neither a biological father nor mother. So if they are introduced into our society they would not feel like they belong. Our society in majority is based on families and the notion of us having roots and ancestors, clones and genetically engineered people would have neither. If society didn’t shun them and learned to accept clones and genetically engineered people would they feel comfortable themselves being around people who have lineage and history? Either way, clones and genetically engineered humans would have a hard time assimilating to our norms and customs when they have no history which is what makes us humans and what makes up our society. 

Animal Cloning: The benefits and downfalls

So far I have been focusing on human genetic engineering and cloning. Well today instead of focusing on humans I am going to focus on animals. There have been plenty of advances when it comes to the cloning and genetic alteration of animals. I was doing a little research on the subject and ran across a few interesting articles.

Before I go into what I came across in my research I want to focus on the question: what would we gain out of cloning animals? A few pros would be:

-          We could produce more livestock for consumption

-          We could help endangered species, so basically animal conservation

-          We could make new breakthroughs with animal cloning which can help with human cloning and  medical breakthroughs

Although, the list above doesn’t sound all that bad there are still a few negative outcomes when it comes to cloning itself and cloning for livestock consumption.

I was reading an article written by DN Wells were he mention a few negative outcomes of first generation clones. For example, first generation clones usually don’t make it either due to miscarriages or to other complications after they are born. Now the question arises, if we would be okay with consuming animals that have such complications? Would consuming these animals have any negative effects on the consumer? I for one am not completely convinced about consuming a clone. But then again that’s me. Others might be okay with it. For those who are not completely convinced about consuming animal clones it might be reassuring that the offspring produced from two clones come out normal and with no complications unlike the first generation clones. I think I would be more open to consuming a second generation clone than a first generation one (Sorry to those of you who are vegetarians and vegans). Now is it morally correct to clone animals for our own benefit? I haven’t really taken a side on that yet. I guess it would help if we looked at it from a person’s perspective. I don’t think many people would be okay with cloning people to reap some benefit out of it.

I did say I was going to focus on animals for this post but I am going to deviate a little and toss medical advancements into the mix. By continuing with animal genetic engineering and cloning there can be some great medical advancements that can be very beneficial. But, the issue of it being correct or not rises again. And the debate continues! It is going to be hard to decide what side to take when the knowledge is out there that a lot of good can come out of something that is viewed as morally wrong.

Just as a last remark, I do have to say that I don’t see anything wrong with using cloning and genetic engineering to preserve animals that are close to extinction. Just putting out there. I actually think it is pretty cool although by doing that it could alter the eco life those animals belong to. Who knows, that is something else to look into…

I hope you found this post somewhat interesting. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts!

If you would like to look into the topic of animal cloning and genetics a bit more in depth refer to the citations below for a couple of articles I read that inspired this blog post.

Wells, DN (2005), "Animal cloning: problems and prospects", Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics) (0253-1933), 24 (1), p. 251.

Y. Tsunoda, Y. Kato, “Recent progress and problems in animal cloning”, Differentiation, Volume 69, Issues 4–5, January 2002, Pages 158-161

Hello, World

Genetic Engineering: Where do we stand with it now? And where will we stand with it in the future?

Genetic Engineering has always been controversial. Some of us view it as an advance in science and others view it as something unnatural.

The question is who is right? I would like to think that both sides have a point. In some ways genetic engineering is unnatural but at the same time we can learn so much and do so much with it.

Now let us think about the future. I want to in the end be able to answer the question, well at least come close to answering the question of whether we are going to rely heavily on genetic engineering in the future or not. And if we are, are we going to welcome everything that comes with it, such as cloning.

Cloning has always been such a controversial topic. If whether it is correct or moral to do such experiments. Should we accept it just because cloning could potentially help us in the future, or should we not continue with such experiments because some consider it morally wrong? What do you think?

Before we can consider what might happen in the future with genetic engineering we need to first look at what is happening now. How is genetic engineering helping us now? How much advancement has there been to benefit us?

Let us consider how genetic engineering make different people feel. I have grown up learning about the sciences so I have an open mind to them. But then there are those who find it morally wrong especially when it comes to cloning. How is genetic engineering impacting our society and our views? How is genetic engineering impacting our moral standings and religious beliefs?

Is it morally correct to clone something or someone in order to benefit someone who is sick or dying? Wouldn't that be denying the clone its life? Now that is a moral dilemma. Cases like these are what make it difficult to take one side completely on genetic engineering.

So I look forward to diving into people’s opinions on the matter and seeing why people agree or disagree with genetic engineering. How are people’s opinions on the matter going to determine whether or not genetic engineering and its advancements will play a vital role in our future?

I mentioned to someone today about my idea of writing and blogging about genetic engineering. That person’s reaction was quite interesting. That person told me that the family he came from really viewed genetic engineering as something unnatural and sinful. That genetic engineering went against their religious beliefs thus, it should not be done. Then I asked why they thought it was unnatural and sinful and the response was that we had no right to create life in a lab. Although, genetic engineering is not all about cloning and creating “life” there is such a huge focus on that particular aspect of genetic engineering that many people don’t see the other advancement made by it. We usually tend to focus on what we consider bad rather than analyzing all the aspects of the issue which tends to make us bias and close minded.

Thus, I want to break through that barrier and really establish a side where both the “bad” and the “good” are viewed in perspective and see how by doing that how likely genetic engineering will play a vital role in our future. 

An Annotation On : "Reproductive cloning, genetic engineering and the autonomy of the child: the moral agent and the open future"

Hey guys! So I ran into a really interesting article about the ethical views on genetically engineered humans. Read the annotation below and look up the article if you are interested! Enjoy!

Mameli, M. Reproductive cloning, genetic engineering and the autonomy of the child: the moral agent and the open future. Journal of Medical Ethics, 2007.

In this article, Mameli takes two authors who are one sided on the issue of morality of reproducing through genetic engineering and bio technologies in order to disprove them on the matter that genetically engineered people would be different from people who are traditionally conceived. The arguments from both authors cited are that people conceived through cloning and genetic engineering means would be unable to assume responsibility for their actions because the responsibility would fall on the parents who engineered their children that way.

The author cleverly uses the theory of nature vs nurture to make the point that genetically engineered people would be driven to adapt to their surroundings rather than follow their genetic instincts.  Mameli’s arguments are straight to the point and are easy to follow so that the points made and perspective presented come through clearly. Mameli’s arguments are also very relatable to other studies concerning people’s basic instincts.

This article is very relatable to any paper trying to bring into perspective the moral standings of those for and against cloned and genetically engineered humans.