Why Do Many Scientists Desire to Experiment Upon Human Embryos?
Before simply speaking out against research on human embryos, the above question should be thoughtfully entertained. Embryonic stem cell research, “therapeutic” cloning, and regenerative medicine are merely second-tier justifications for conducting research on human embryos. The first-tier justifications were linked to clinical practice and “research” on human reproduction. The more recent wave of justifications may have been publicized so aggressively in part because the therapeutic benefits allegedly promised by stem cell research, cloning, and regenerative medicine have such widespread appeal. However, the basic rationale for why scientists seek to engage in human embryo research is actually much more deep-seated. This is evident in the explanation that Dr. Craig Venter and Dr. Hamilton Smith offered to the Washington Post (November 21, 2002) to justify their plan to create a man-made microbe containing the minimum number of genes needed to sustain life: “The goal is to fundamentall
