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This image probably does not further public acceptance of human cloning
(from here)
Our Benevolent Seed Overlords pose a bunch of interesting questions about human cloning. I'll discuss the technological questions in another post, but I wanted to address the public perception issues raised. Specifically, they ask:
So, what have you noticed about the public's perception of common misconceptions of the term "cloning?" How do you think misunderstandings of the term affect the political landscape concerning research that involves cloning?
But I think the misunderstanding of the difference between reproductive cloning and "Somatic Nuclear Cell Transfer" (SNCT) is not what is affecting support for therapeutic cloning. While there are some idiots who worry that TEH EVIL SCIENTISTZ!! will create an army of cloned evil genius stormtroopers, it's the idea--more accurately, a misperception--of SNCT itself that is problematic.
People I've talked to have an image in their heads of a fully grown human heart in a beaker pumping away, and that strikes people as unnatural (never mind that most SNCT, at least initially, will be akin to tissue grafting, not whole organ transplantation). Using fluoride to prevent dental cavities is also unnatural, but that shouldn't lead us to underestimate the power of the naturalist fallacy, in combination with an ick factor (e.g., a beating heart in a flask).
On a related note, there's another issue, which is not limited to cloning: much of the last decade of biology appears magical. That is, too many people lack the basic background to even understand the explanation of SNCT. Throw in a decade of X Files, and people will believe anything. There's a basic problem of biological illiteracy that underlies the opposition to SNCT. I'm not sure there's a quick, 'framing' fix for that.
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Comments
I don't know, cloning can be cool.
Posted by: James F | December 5, 2008 10:29 AM
"Framing" for this kind of cloning:
Find an adorable breed of dog/cat with a breed-related congenital defect that can be cured via SNCT. (I recommend Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, but that's just because they're so darn cute. Don't know if their disorders can be cured, but... SO CUTE!!) Cure a couple of them. Then make a commercial: "Would you have rather these ADORABLE PUPPIES died!??!"
Ta da!
Posted by: Muse142 | December 5, 2008 11:07 AM
Pray tell, what's this thing you're calling the "naturalist fallacy"? Is it, perhaps, a fallacy to which naturalists are particularly prone? Please advise.
Posted by: bob koepp | December 5, 2008 12:21 PM
I can't help it: in that picture, the third storm trooper from the left is a full two inches shorter than the others. The second from the right is also taller than average. Yeesh, all that green screening and they can't even make some visual clones?
Posted by: scicurious | December 5, 2008 12:27 PM
scicurious has fallen for the Lucas Fallacy. To whit: that Lucas had actually written any episodes prior to episode 4 (AKA the first movie).
Those are stromtroopers, not clones. The clone BS came later. And jar jar.
Posted by: rpsms | December 5, 2008 1:47 PM
rpsms Is right:
Those are StormTroopers � not CloneTroopers. StormTroopers are recruited � not cloned.
Posted by: Walabio | December 6, 2008 5:33 AM
wow. seriously peeps, who the hell think that there's a mad scientist who really wants to clone a ton of oober nerdy people to take over the world? its just kinda stupid. hypothetically speeking, though, if some creeper found a way to clone nerds in mass, then wouldn't the nerds overcome the creeper scientist, or would the clonies be all zombie-like, and then us "normal" humans can dispose of the oober nerd clones, therefore there's no wory about the oober nerd clones in the first place. :-)
Posted by: BabyTubaChic | December 9, 2008 7:40 PM
To Walabio and rpsms: Stormtroopers are cloned. However, they are no longer direct clones of Jango Fett, but include the DNA of officers the Empire bribed to join them. That is the official explanation of why stormtroopers cannot shoot any named character at point-blank range or defeat teddy bears with rocks.
Posted by: Funnyguts | December 10, 2008 12:39 PM
To Walabio and rpsms: Stormtroopers are cloned. However, they are no longer direct clones of Jango Fett, but include the DNA of officers the Empire bribed to join them. That is the official explanation of why stormtroopers cannot shoot any named character at point-blank range or defeat teddy bears with rocks.
@Bob Koepp: The naturalistic fallacy is the assumption that the natural order of things is good, and that changing them will necessarily be bad. Of course, it's also a fallacy to claim that the natural order of things is bad, and that changing them is a good thing. The fact that something is "natural" or "unnatural" makes no difference to whether or not it is good or bad.
Posted by: Funnyguts | December 10, 2008 12:52 PM