Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'chimera'

A Case against Chimeras: Part I

This week will feature a five part series, with one installment per day, putting forth my presentation of a biblical-theological case against the creation of certain kinds of chimeras, or human-animal hybrids. Continue Reading...

From the ‘Well, Duh!’ Department

“A human brain trapped inside a mouse’s body — not a good idea,” says Anjana Ahuja in the UK Times. Not convinced? Check out this piece of mine over at BreakPoint, “A Monster Created in Man’s Image.” Continue Reading...

Chimera Nomenclature

Another round of stories are out about the possibility of creating a modern-day wooly mammoth, Jurassic Park-style. The process would include injecting frozen wooly mammoth sperm into an egg of a closely related species. Continue Reading...

Debating the Ethics of Chimeras

My piece on the debate over chimera research and the relevance of your worldview to the debate appears today at BreakPoint, “A Monster Created in Man’s Image.” Drawing on the work of C.S. Continue Reading...

‘Worth More than Many Sparrows’

“Animals are less valuable than human beings,” says John Martin, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at University College London (UCL). This seemingly uncontroversial statement is under fire, as Helene Guldberg at sp!ked Continue Reading...

Puggles, Malt-a-Poos, and Labradoodles, oh my!

This feature from yesterday’s Marketplace looks at the “endless variations of designer hybrid dogs.” These new breeds crossing more traditional lines of dogs can command a large price tag. The “cute name” attraction, the possibilities of allergen free dogs, and the idea of getting the best of both breeds have put these designer dogs in high demand. Continue Reading...

Of mice and men: What it means to be human

Jordan Ballor writes about the ethical and moral implications of creating genetic chimeras. Ballor comments on a recent New York Times editorial promoting chimera research, calling their thinking “scientific pragmatism” and criticizing the general lack of understanding of both human nature and anthropology. Continue Reading...

NAS releases guidelines

The National Academies of Science has issued a set of guidelines for human embryonic stem (ES) cell research. The guidelines also address the chimera phenomenon. The guidelines open a path for experiments that create animals that contain some introduced human embyronic stem cells. Continue Reading...

Wholphin watch

Hot on the trail of chimeras as a service to you, dear reader, I pass along this story about the offspring of a dolphin and a whale. Apparently these so-called “wholphins” have been found in the wild. Continue Reading...