February Voice Your Opinion Poll Comments:

How will the recent UN ban on human cloning affect therapeutic cloning research?

1. This is an issue only because of abortion. All of the peripheral arguments may be important in terms of the value of medical and biological research, but for single-issue anti-abortion voters, their minds are made up. (USA)

2. The two choices were rather inexhaustive. To many people "human cloning" means producing cloned human beings (reproductive cloning, as opposed to cloning human stem cells), and banning it might remove some concern and actually help stem-cell research (which I take "therapeutic cloning" to involve) by making its pursuit more palatable to some fraction of the public. "No effect" was the closest option to this but somewhat lacking
this nuance. Although the UN statement included the phrase "all forms of human cloning", it was qualified by the phrase "incompatable with human dignity." I assume that the UN ban would therefore not prevent research aimed at curing devastating diseases. (USA)

3. I think that the poll is biased. It is OBVIOUS that this recomendation will slow the research in therapeutic cloning, but the question is: are you in accord? or not in accord?, or is it correct? or not correct? I vote in the sense that this will slow the research because this is the obvious consequence, but I am not in accord with the therapeutic cloning because this means manipulating and in some cases killing a human embryo. For this reason I am in accord with the UN resolution. (Mexico)

4. Identical twins are clones. Unless I have no understanding of the problem, every time a cell reproduces, the result is a clone, else a mutation. If so, how can any rational person object to cloning? (USA)

Note: This survey is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general or the public as a whole. This survey only serves as a sampling of opinion among AAAS Members.