NP - Stem Cell Fumble

[Otto]

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of man -- the Shadow knows."
(TP cd "Rasterfahndung," track 2)

Dave Morris:
>
> Nothing is absolutely necessary, but many things cannot be avoided.
>

I cannot but agree on this definition of "inevitable" in the context of
genetic engineering -- relatively* unnecessary, but unavoidable.
*Of course you are right with your argument about the genetic diseases. It's
hard to tell these people that the solution of their problem will be delayed
a generation or two.

I don't think that I'm very paranoid about genetic engineering and cloning,
but it makes me feel uneasy every once in a while. What about the "slippery
slope" argument that if started the thing becomes unstoppable? Things that
are possible will be done regardless to what they can be used for by
evildoers.

The best argument for a research controlled by "democratic" governments is
that if the ones who want to do it are not allowed to do their research in
the US, EU, Russia or major Asian countries they will do it on ships or in
some, what we used to call "Banana Republic" (in the past, not pc anymore)
somewhere else.

Otto,
frank'n'stoned, who doesn't think that this topic about the stem cells is
NP:

"(...) the next great challenge to watch out for will come -- you heard it
here first -- when the curves of research and development in artificial
intelligence, molecular biology and robotics all converge. Oboy."
TP -- Is it O.K. to be a Luddite?