Paxton's goal

[pdsldl]

The term "binary clone" is an oxymoron. I'm not a embryologist, but as far as I understand it, a "clone", by definition, is the result of a process whereby the genetic material (DNA...nucleus...whatever you want to call it) of a generic ovum of a given species is removed and replaced with the DNA of a somatic cell of the donor. Somatic, or regular body cells...as opposed to gametes like ova or sperm which contain only half of a person's chromosomes... have the complete set of chromosomes of the donor. Then the cell thus created is somehow induced to differentiate into an exact twin of the donor. The SINGLE donor.

When you're dealing with two donors you don't have a "clone". You have a genetically engineered individual which is the artificially created offspring of the donors. I would think that it would be necessary to create hundreds of embryos with many different combinations of genes, only a tiny percentage of which would survive without defects. The ethical problems this process would create would be horrible unless there was a way to map the genes and hypothesize probable outcomes, thus creating a computer program which could run through likely gestational results and choose the most theoretically successful ones to attempt in the lab. They'd still have to be willing to cull the fetuses that weren't perfect. The idea makes me queasy.

That's why it's expensive to clone and the genetic manipulation involved is why it's illegal. The whole concept seemed a bit stretched for Star Trek. The time and expense would have been prohibitive for Paxton.

[WarpGirl]

No because it's stated that he has almost unlimitated resources. His father developed the mining technologies used on the moon and Mars. His father developed his "ship" that's why I say Terra Prime and it dastardly doings have been around since First Contact.

[Silverbullet]

Distracted, great post. You explained that beautifully.

Warpgirl is right it is nice to have a Doctor in the house.

I thought that was what I was getting at with my schematic anology but missed the mark by a mile.

[WarpGirl]

No your thoughts were very well thought out. DNA is exactly what you said it is, but it's composition is almost frighteningly simple.

[Silverbullet]

I reallly don't believe that anything is simple about the human body.

It constantly amazes me. In how great it is and how badly made it is.

I was once stunned to learn of how many syndromes there are out there.

My Grandaughter has a very rare one. She is eleven but has the intelledct of about two or three. Must still be diapered, can speak about four or five words.

Can walk but with special shoes.

She is typical of children who have this syndrome.

Loves music and is happy and loving all of the time.


Getting notice that my ccomputer is warding off threats. Must be coming from this site.

[WarpGirl]

Hmm do you have a name for this syndrome? I might know it.

[Aikiweezie]

They'd still have to be willing to cull the fetuses that weren't perfect. The idea makes me queasy.

Or not and that's how you got poor little Elizabeth. Trip & T'Pol went through so much crap, that was just the worst. That is alo why they deserved a happily ever after where Trip lives.

[WarpGirl]

Agreed but I think the flaws in Elizabeth were deliberate, the whole thing doesn't make sense unless it was.

[Silverbullet]

Wrpgirl, the Syndrome was Wolf/Hirschhorn Syndrome.

Rare. Caused by a deletion the 5th Chromosome. At the top of rthe chromosome. At that place it doesn't take but a very small deletion to make a profoud problem. along side the chromoome one can have a fairly large deletion and not much will go wrong. It is always the location of the dleetion.

[WarpGirl]

I have heard of it, I might have known some children with it when a was between the ages of 3-5. I had to go to a pre-school for disabled children and I KNOW I've heard of it there. But ofcourse I was so young my memory of the actual child is hazy.

[Distracted]

It's tragic what a tiny gene deletion in the right place can do.

[WarpGirl]

Yeah so is a brain injury at birth, but amazing things can come out of it too.

[Distracted]

I know. That's why the idea of culling defective embryos disgusts me. I've read suppositions that Beethoven's deafness might have been a hereditary condition called otosclerosis, although most medical historians attribute it to syphilis. Assuming that it was hereditary and not something fixable with a shot of penicillin, can you imagine what would have happened had he been born at a time when hereditary anomalies could be detected during gestation and all embryos with them were destroyed? What about Einstein and his ADD (or whatever learning disability kept him from passing in school)? What about Steven Hawking, for Pete's sake? Nobody knows what causes ALS. What if it's genetic? And once decisions are made to destroy embryos for genetic abnormalities, who's to say their creators won't also destroy them because they're the wrong gender, skin color, or eye color?

No human being is meant to be perfect, and only God has the right to decide who lives and who dies. When science takes over that role we're dabbling in things we're not meant to dabble in.

JMO.

[WarpGirl]

Hey Distracted I think that might be the ABSOLUTE BEST post I've read anywhere about anything. ROCK ON!

[Distracted]

Thanks.