WHAT should we make of the news from South Korea on cloning human embryos? Some have rapturously welcomed the study as the breakthrough that will finally unlock the awesome medical potential of embryonic stem cells. Others are outraged, arguing that it will encourage reproductive cloning and lead to a world in which human embryos are routinely destroyed to supply “spare part” tissues. In reality, neither side provides an adequate lens through which to judge an advance that is richer in shades of grey than black and white.
Will the study help would-be reproductive cloners? Certainly the experimental details will save…
