British Academy To Look Into Ethics of Human-Animal Genetic Hybrids

Whoa, this is really scifi ish.

We need our anime cat girls. As for the monkey hybrids it doesn't take much science. A human sperm isn't attracted to a chimpanzee egg but it wouldn't be that hard to inject the sperm. I wouldn't be surprised if this hasn't happened already and covered up. Due to chromosomal differences not all fertilizationes would be viable but some would. The resulting offspring would almost certainly be sterile.

Truely the sort of thing that can aid the coming technological singularity. A human hybrid with the regenerative abilities of some reptiles or perhaps starfish combined with the top physical traits found in the animal kingdom human intelligence and some degree of cyborg tech allowing greater than human intelligence on top of it all. The ultimate super human is coming with no need for further procreation as it can live forever. We'll make great pets!

read the book "The Lab" by Jack Heath. Thats exactly what agent Six of Hearts is. Skin of a shark, mind of an elephant, etc. all the good, with none of the bad. That would be interesting, but we shouldn't do it. Too many things can go wrong.

A chimp-human hybrid was supposedly developed as early as the 1930's by the Chinese and a live offspring was produced. But I don't know for certain. Either way, if we make researching tech illegal then people are going to go somewhere else to do it. I say we stay on top and go for broke. Hybrid everything, research everything, massively engineer a talking gorilla for all I care. Work with human stem cells, generate brainless clones to do scientific research on! We could accomplish so much in such a short time. Ya know they used to burn down buildings where scientists were doing autopsies... Ignorance and even worse, self-imposed ignorance, is a sin.

I don't see why we stick human beings on such a pedestal. We have the talent to do these things, why not use it?

Hmmm...interesting, perhaps at some point in the future people will be hybrids with animals that they will look like second life avatars lol

Thank you, Justus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol. The human race is well known for wanting to mix genes with what-ever it can get it's hands on. If you know what I mean.

i think it's perfectly ethical to do this stuff for research purposes. think about what humans might miss out on; all kinds of research could be called off because people think its unethical. i say go for it.

Interesting topic. Some of you may have noticed the article on p16 a little while ago - the gene in naked mole rats that scientists believe may help make them immune to cancer. If it were possible to transcribe that gene, or one with similar benefits, into human cells without negative side effects, I have no doubt that gene therapists would be swamped with people seeking a cancer cure. Clearly, there are some advantages to hybridizing ourselves, at least to a limited extent.

As for engineering part-human hybrids, I can see where the issue might get murky. A cow engineered to produce infant-compatible, vitamin-enriched milk probably wouldn't care about the human genes in its modified DNA, but if you start messing around with the structure of the animal's brain, increasing intelligence, etc., then you are on your way to creating a hybrid person - one who did not ask to be altered.

I think we can safely rule out animemaster's catgirls and other intelligent hybrids. No self-respecting geneticist would try to create an artificial person, and even the nutjobs would no doubt be dissuaded by the penalties for violating ethical standards. Unless people of the future decide for themselves to start growing webbed feet, gills, fur, wings, etc., intelligent hybrids will remain the stuff of science fiction.

I think I could live without dog hearing though. To many kids running around with high pitch whistles anymore. Think M. J. Fox in Teenwolf.

I agree with Q42. Using genetics to fight cancer and other diseases are fine. However, using it to create hybrids is a different story.

Why are people so adverse to hybrids? I have 7 words for you Cyborg gorilla men with retractable cat claws.

i have to agree with animemaster

i want my kawaii neko girls. no lolis tho....