Send In The Clones

Those of us itching to carbon-copy ourselves at the local cloning center may not have to wait too much longer. That is, if we can believe the claims made by researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, MA, who have stated they've cloned the first human embryo.

Critics, however, have been crying foul in the days since the announcement, alleging that Advanced Cell's research is only hype, emphasizing the embryo they've created has only developed into six cells, and protesting that the announcement was strictly a public relations move meant to secure more funding for the organization.

While the type of cloning in question here is therapeutic cloning, which many scientists say could help in the treatment of diseases through the transplantation of stem cells (hey, remember those?), many opponents of cloning have been quick to denounce Advanced Cell's practices.

Meanwhile, legislation that would make it a federal crime to clone human embryos for scientific research is expected to go to the Senate in March, after the House voted in favor of such a measure in August.

Despite these developments, so many questions still remain. Is cloning ethical? Will we ever be able to make twins of ourselves? Can we ever find a way to make a re-do of Michael Jackson (he had such potential, didn't he?)? Alas, we may never find the real answers to such questions, but the books below, which delve into the many implications of genetic science, might help us out.

Who's Afraid of Human Cloning?
by Gregory E. Pence
With this book, Pence, a professor of philosophy and bioethics, tells the anti-cloning crowd to chill the heck out. He rationally explains why cloning isn't as scary as it seems as he defends cloning research both on ethical and scientific grounds. For Pence, cloning could be a reasonable reproductive option for couples who are unable to reproduce otherwise. Regardless of whether or not you buy his argument, the proceedings make for lively reading. Recommended for those who don't see the cloning debate as being quite as cut-and-dried as it is often portrayed.

Clones and Clones: Facts and Fantasies About Human Cloning
edited by Martha Nussbaum and Cass Sunstein
This collection of essays and short fiction runs the gamut from distillations of the science of cloning, to comments on the legal, political, and religious ramifications of the practice, to ruminations about how cloning might change our collective psychology. With contributions from Stephen Jay Gould, Wendy Doniger, Steven Pinker, Richard Dawkins, and Andrea Dworkin, the spectrum of opinion is varied, making for an informative and entertaining debate. Perhaps best of all, the book is rounded out by a selection of fiction pieces that peek into a futureworld filled with more little you's and me's.

The Lives to Come: The Genetic Revolution and Human Possibilities
by Phillip Kitcher
Cloning, of course, is only one of the many issues associated with genetic science and biotechnology. Scientists tell us that, in the future, we will be able to determine the genetic makeup of individuals and come to know whether or not they are predisposed to certain diseases. Yet, what should we do with this knowledge, these "genetic report cards"? Kitcher addresses this and many other questions as he lucidly explains both the basics of this new frontier of science, and what the impact of new discoveries could be on future societies. Throughout, his views are controversial, particularly regarding "eugenic abortions," but they are sure to provoke thought and discussion.

The Book of Life: A Personal and Ethical Guide to Race, Normality, and the Implications of the Human Genome Project
by Barbara Katz Rothman
Could developments in genetic science lead to new kinds of discrimination? Are we in danger of reducing the whole of human identity to merely scientific jargon? What if genetic engineering allows us to buy and sell beauty and brawn? These are just a few of the questions that sociologist Rothman wrestles with in The Book of Life, a series of passionate essays that challenge the laissez-faire attitudes of some members of the scientific community. Throughout, Rothman's own personal reflections help make the proceedings more engaging, and her fears of a future defined by genetic science more unsettling.

The Body Bazaar: The Market for Human Tissue in the Biotechnology Age
by Lori B. Andrews and Dorothy Nelkin
In The Body Bazaar, Andrews and Nelkin illustrate how biotechnology is not just a science; it's also big business. As new discoveries emerge in gene science, the authors note, bio-tech corporations will find more and more ways to profit from our blood, tissue, and organs, as our very selves have become commercialized. Through providing dozens of examples, Andrews and Nelkin show how many unsuspecting health care consumers have been exploited by the biotech industry. Sure to shock, The Body Bazaar will give you many reasons to approach coming scientific advances with skepticism.