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Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

nature.com

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Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#121

Post by umvi »

viach wrote: post #100
pgt wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like iPhone manufacturing, the West will buy the finished product before it allows the experimentation under its roof.

Might be. But it is quite different from iPhone manufacturing. It actually could more dangerous than nukes. West will just buy this you say, but why it is not possible now to just buy several intercontinental ballistic missiles? There are people with enough money and desire to buy this.

> but why it is not possible now to just buy several intercontinental ballistic missiles?

It probably is. You'll have to buy them from North Korea in secret though.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#123

Post by notadoc »

sampo wrote: post #28
bcrosby95 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I disagree with the US's stance, ignoring your morals because other countries are doing something would be a race to the bottom.

> ignoring your morals If those morals say people should die instead of getting the organ transplants they need, maybe we are better off ignoring such morals.

Do you consider it moral or immoral to harvest organs from prisoners, as China reportedly does?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-forcefully-harvests...

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#124

Post by fjcp »

pwinnski wrote: post #89
fjcp wrote: post #63

When I heard Alex Jones on Joe Rogan saying that there was human-animal experiments being made I thought he was exaggerating. In my opinion this kind of research crosses some ethical lines that shouldn't be crossed. If one considers an embryo as an independent life, what species the embryo belongs to? Wouldn't be the ones in this experiment half humans with human rights? After all, the scientist doesn't know all, and…

> Just my opinion tho, as I know nothing about genetics and biology. Arguments from ignorance are rarely helpful.

I agree. But even the ignorant on the matter can raise relevant questions, more so when the subject cross boundaries on other less "restrict to the experts" topics, like ethics.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#125

Post by oneshot908 »

jtbayly wrote: post #78
bluecalm wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If significant % of the population doesn't think it's problematic it should be allowed as long as it doesn't influence lives of the other part. You can easily opt out of any stem cells based research or treatment, we can make it not state funded. Opposing that is the kind of self-righteous aggressive morality I despise. It's the same with abortion: about half the population thinks it's ok to let a woman decide. It do…

Just one example of how abortion affects everybody: Sex selective abortions leave millions without somebody to marry and live with.

That's what robot lovers are for silly goose!

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#126

Post by oneshot908 »

noir_lord wrote: post #75
algorias wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably, the eventual goal is to grow full-sized organs inside some larger animal. Then the organ can be harvested and transplanted to a human who needs it. Per my understanding, medicine does a lot of work with rats because they're cheap and easy to work with, so any new technology of this type would be tried on rats first. By the way, my neutral explanation above doesn't mean that I approve of doing such things.…

I'm not remotely torn about it, taken to the finish, it's a human organ with my dna grown in a pig and then transplanted into me. We already eat bacon and use large mammal heart valves in surgery. I mean we wear the skin of cows, grease things with their rendered fat and use them for glue. This seems like a strange point to be torn on.

I quite enjoyed the cognitive dissonance of the PETA director being a Type 1 Diabetic.

https://www.humanewatch.org/person/mary_beth_sweetland/

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#127

Post by oneshot908 »

fjcp wrote: post #72
Bayart wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if you're allowing abortion on the basis that an embryo isn't human life, you're by extension allowing this.

Right, that's what I am saying. If even that discussion isn't settled yet, we should be more careful and wait before mixing humans and animals.

That discussion was reasonably settled a very long time ago and court cases established reasonable laws around it. Then one side demanded a do-over, in much the same way they are seeking do-overs for a lot of previously seemingly settled issues.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#128

Post by sdinsn »

dmonitor wrote: post #54
sampo wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ignoring your morals If those morals say people should die instead of getting the organ transplants they need, maybe we are better off ignoring such morals.

The moral is that embryos deserve the same rights as people, so you’re really just killing one person to save another

And some people disagree with the fundamental basis of that moral.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#129

Post by sdinsn »

madez wrote: post #45
ETHisso2017 wrote: post #13

I worry about allowing Japan, a country that has refused to fully own up to the biomedical atrocities it committed with Unit 731, to lead the way on these kinds of experiments. I would feel much more comfortable if there was international ethical oversight.

> I worry about allowing Japan It's not up to you.

I'm not sure why you got downvoted and flagged.

You are absolutely right; what Japan wants to do in their own country is their own decision.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#130

Post by StreamBright »

dmonitor wrote: post #54
sampo wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ignoring your morals If those morals say people should die instead of getting the organ transplants they need, maybe we are better off ignoring such morals.

The moral is that embryos deserve the same rights as people, so you’re really just killing one person to save another

Yes but according to most western countries where abortion is legal it doesn't matter.
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