So why am I not terrified of cloned foods?

[Orrex]

I posted in a thread in Health (or maybe GD--I can't remember) some months ago in which people were howling about the irresponsibilities of animal cloning and what it would do to our food supply. Some were even panicking about the "inevitable" slippery-slope from animal to human cloning, but that's a separate debate.

Anyway, most of the objections to food-use animal cloning seemed to amount to a fear that the "copied" meat would be dangerous due to flaws in the clone's genetics. I got the sense that they were worried that a bad gene would be incorporated intact into the consumer's cells, thereafter to turn him into a ruminant, I suppose. I'll need to think about that some more.

One poster worried that a genetically identical food-herd would be identically vulnerable to disease, but it seems unlikely to me that cloned animals will overtake the herd any time soon.

What, in your estimation, is the specific source of the fear, other than simple ignorance?

[TZ]

1. Misunderstanding/fear of genetics

There are things done everyday here where I work (recombinant technology) that would make the woos head explode if they thought about it.
Have you heard about the glow in the dark mice that biotechs breed? Its done so they can identify where certain genes are going/are expressed and its very helpful in cancer research. But the woos here about this it they start howling about "unnatural" you are messing with nature.
I think in many ways "Jurassic Park" has contributed to this attitude that genetics is an out of control field with scientists doing all sorts of unethical research. Not really true. While there is some stuff that makes me uncomfortable, with funding often hard to come by and being incredibly competitive you aren't going to get the "lets do it cause we can" really.
Finally, this attitude is pervasive on both sides of the aisle too. Do you remember Chimpy's SOTU speech a couple of years back that talked about human animal hybrids? I think he was referring to transgenic mice--mice that have human genes inserted into them to help with medical research.
The thing with cloning its so expensive its not practical at this time. BUt yes, the fear of cloned meat is really unjustified. IF a clone does not work, the animal will NEVER get old enough to become a feed animal.

[cosmik debris]

2. Yep

I suspect that many people believe that scientists are playing god and they fear the consequences.

Since I have no fear of their god, I'd munch a cloned rib eye any day!

[Evoman]

3. Most of them are too ignorant to understand the differences between

cloning and recombinant techonology. Add a little nutritional ignorance (no, you don't incorporate the DNA sequences you consume into your own genes :eyes:), and what you've got is full blown hysteria.

[semillama]

4. SCIENCE BAD!!!!!

[Random_Australian]

7. Uh, where is that image from and what is it of?

[semillama]

9. It's from the movie Van Helsing

It's the opening sequence with the torch-wielding villagers.

[Random_Australian]

10. Aaaaah, I say, in an internet way.

(ie. usually I would say "eh? What is Van Helsing?" but here I can wikigooglify it.

[semillama]

11. Oh, it's a terrible movie

but strangely, provided the best image from a google search for torch-wielding villagers.

[lizerdbits]

5. The reason you're not afraid is

The mutationalized gene parts of the clones have infusified your cellulars and taken over your mind. You have been assimilated.

[TZ]

6. Woo-hoo

Orrex is a Borg!! I knew it...:rofl:

[Random_Australian]

8. Oh no! They have mutationalized your english as well!

They put Bush geneses in the meatifier! Oh no, now I'm doing it.... :(

[Ediacara]

12. How are clones different from twins?

Surely livestock animals, like all mammals, are subject to identical twins :-)