Will Saletan at Slate probes the mind-boggling possibility that scientists can recreate a Neanderthal. He suggests that scientists might be able to get around the central ethical questions -- is it ok to clone a human? -- by re-creating the Neanderthal primarily through manipulation of chimp DNA. That would make the creation an ape rather than a human.
But that still leaves so many other questions:
If they're animals, not humans, couldn't we eat them? ("We're serving a delightful, grass-fed Neanderthal with peppercorn sauce and a cranberry reduction")
If they're animals, not humans, couldn't we use them as servants or slaves -- or pets?
If we conclude that they're just too human to be subjected to such treatment, we then have to confront all of the bioethical concerns about human cloning, plus some new ones. If they're human-ish, should they have full human rights?
Can they vote? Sit on a jury? Marry your daughter? Flak insurance?
Some scientists believe Neanderthals were wiped out by modern humans. If so, this could be the ultimate indignity: bringing Neanderthals back to life just so we could humiliate and dominate them again. I'd say let sleeping cave-people lie.
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"Only the kind of moron that believes the earth and everything on it was created,all together or days apart, would believe that "scientists" could make a Neanderthal from "chimp DNA". there seems to be nothing so ridiculous for such people to believe. In the world of the such people science is the new sorcery, and its "practioners" necromancers who can summon torglodytic devil men to offed god. I fear for the future, that all such delusional types are wandering around unsupervised"
you're athiest aren't you?
I think that neanderthals were created from humans. Like they were humans mixed with something else. And by that i don't mean apes or anything....but definitely a creature with superior and almost supernatural build. Therefore creating neanderthals, like hybrids. This might support the theory about other life forms in this universe.
Stephanie,
You don't have to think (thank God) - science has already worked out the evolutionary relationships..
As to the questions - it's worth pointing out (in case you missed it) that we do have some other close relatives on this planet - they are called great apes. I haven't seen any of them sitting on juries, although we did have one running the country until very recently.
hey is the pic real??
In europe the basque people in the mountians between France and Spain still carry the neanderthal genes heavily. Also some scandinavian families on the west coast. There the neandrathal is heavy
They weren't "wiped out" by the cro magnons, they are being assimilated, and this is cool.
Much better to live and let live than to exterminate people who are different than you.
I'm 'round 30 % primitive, please excuse me
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