ignorance is not bliss, but i am tempted to be an ostrich

Here is a little advert: I enjoying listening to NPR. I listen to it on 89.9 and hear well-written news items, thoughtful non-gratuitous human interest, Which Way LA, and very interesting music.

I heard on the news that England was considering a ban on the creation human-animal hybrid cells. In fact, it was news to me that ban--legal or personally internalized from ethics--doesn't exist right now. One of the arguments AGAINST the ban was that England, who leads (i guess) in cloning research as with Dolly the Sheep, would fall behind places like Singapore and China...

...who allow such hybrid research.

My mind is boggled.

I cannot imagine nor fathom the decrepit state of ethical reasoning that demands the right to do research like this. "Let's do something horribly wrong because it might give us a chance to defend ourselves against other things that aren't right with the universe. And by the way, we'll make lots of money and keep a healthy science research economy here."

As if everyone would benefit from medicines derived from hybrid cell research--i bet it's very costly.

As if money was the end that justified all means.

Slightly offsetting that nasty shock is the news that Japan's parliament is considering a bill to ban human cloning, and also to ban hybrid human-animal cell research. It's a very short news blurb but here it is for reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/713606.stm. If you follow such news, you probably already know more than that. If you don't...well, sorry to put a damper on your day.