clones by any other name

The NY Times carried an interesting piece yesterday about a breakthrough in stem cell research through a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer. Actually those S. Koreans’ paper fuzzies it up a bit more, shortening S.C.N.T. down to just N.T. And who would object to good ole N.T.?

Well, the President’s Council on Bioethics takes a dim view, as does the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as does the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics and religious liberty commission. All the usual suspects are lining up to deliver knee-jerk condemnation of an amazing medical breakthrough almost before the egg is hatched.

And yet surveys seem to indicate the American public would disapprove of it too, if only they knew what SCNT was. 72% of us approve of SCNT, but when you ask us about it using the common term cloning, why then the approval rating drops to 38%. But my concern is that whatever they do, could they please not use dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) to do it?