I got a pleasant surprise when I opened up my New York Times this Sunday
morning (Feb. 23 1997). This is the headline of the lead story on page 1,
"SCIENTIST REPORTS FIRST CLONING EVER OF ADULT MAMMAL", in slightly smaller
type under that "Researchers Astounded; In Procedure On Sheep Fiction Becomes
True And Dreaded Possibilities Are Raised".
Dr. Ian Wilmult of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh Scotland has taken one
cell from an adult sheep and made a clone from it. The clone was born last
July and seems normal and healthy, genetic tests have shown it is indeed an
exact clone of the original. Dr. Wilmult said that the same procedure should
work for any mammal, including humans. I don't know many more details,
the full report will be in the British Journal "Nature" on Thursday.
Dr. Lee Silver of Princeton University said this came just in time for him to
revise his new book so it will no longer say that cloning is and will always
be impossible, now he says " It basically means that there are no limits.
It means all of Science Fiction is true. They said it could never be done and
now here it is, done before the year 2000." Naturally self proclaimed medical
"ethicist" are very upset, Lori Andrews said "I can see it going on
surreptitiously,[...] I can imagine new crimes". I agree with Dr. Ronald
Munson, "Incredible! The genie is out of the bottle. This technology is not
in principle policeable".
John K Clark johnkc@well.com
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