Friday, November 7, 2008

A Blurred Line

The line between science and mad science is often blurred. There are few who would challenge the assertion that it is mad to create a robot a hundred feet tall, armed with missiles and programmed to kill. But what of a similar giant robot armed to the teeth and programmed to love?

Truly, there are shades of gray that must be considered.

So it is with cloning. A team of scientists have come a step closer to resurrecting extinct animals. The applications of this technology are staggering: modern man may finally be able to discover the taste of deep fried dodo, a delicacy lost to the ages.

But there is danger to such technology as well. Earlier this week famed science fiction writer and global-warming skeptic, Michael Crichton (iD&Di: .32) passed away. But his work survives, and it warns us of the dangers that accompany cloning.

But have we not also learned from Spielberg (iD&Di: .47) that cloning is really cool, as well?

Is it mad to clone frozen mice? No. Is it mad to clone dinosaurs, creatures of immense strength and power whose behavior is a mystery to even the greatest scientific minds? Perhaps.

But these researchers aren't talking about dinosaurs: as the article explains, they're merely testing their theories on mice to further our understanding of genetics, life, and science.

And then it's on to the mammoth.

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