Bioethics, which is the study of value judgements pertaining to human conduct in the area of biology and includes those related to the practice of medicine, has been an important aspect of all areas in the scientific field. It is one of the factors that determines the continuance of certain scientific researches as well as the rules and regulations it has to abide by. One of the most recent and controversial issues facing the world today is research into cloning.

On February 23,1997, Ian Wilmut, a Scottish Scientist, along with his colleagues, at the Roslin Institute and PPL Therapeutics, announced to the world that they had cloned lamb, which they named Dolly from an adult sheep. The two share the same nucleic DNA, but differ in terms of their Mitochondrial DNA, which is vitally important for the regulation of the cell. The media and the press ignored this fact, and thus claimed that Dolly and her ‘Mother’ were genetically identical, which sparked a furore around the world. The technique of transferring a nucleus from a somatic cell into an egg cell of which the nucleus had been removed, called nuclear transplantation, is an extension of research that had been ongoing for over 40 years.

Up till now, scientists thought that adult cells could not be ‘reprogrammed’ to behave like a fertilized egg and create an embryo, but the evidence obtained by Dolly’s success proved otherwise. The issues of cloning have been around for a long time, starting with the publication of Joshua Lederberg’s 1966article on cloning in the American naturalist. The public’s interest has been perked by many science fiction books, film and movies including Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel Brave New World , the movies Sleeper in 1973, and The Boys from Brazil in 1978. More recently, the movie Multiplicity dealt with the endless replication of its protagonist. The ethical, legal, and moral issues aroused by cloning have been raised by previous projects and are now simply emerging again, with its focus on three major points: the shift from sexual reproduction with that of asexual replication of existing genes; the ability to predetermine the genes of a child ; and the ability to create many genetically identical children.

The public responded to Dolly with a mixture of fear and excitement, questioning the benefits and the disasters that could happen in the future if research was to continue. From a poll taken by Maurice Bernstein M.D, the result showed that 72% of the votes said that cloning should be prohibited by law. They believe that cloning for any reason would be unethical and immoral. A common misconception of cloning is that it is the instantaneous creation of a full-grown adult from the cells of an individuals. Also, that an exact copy, although much younger, of an existing person could be made, reflecting the belief, that one’s genes bear a simple relationship to the physical and psychological traits that make up a person.

This is one point that those against cloning are often worried about. That the clone would have no soul, no mind, no feelings or emotions of their own ;a predetermined destiny that leaves no say in the living of their lives; and that each individual clone would be identical in every possible manner. What people fail to realize is that, although genes do play an important part, it is rather interaction of a person genetic inheritance, his environment, memories, different life and learning experiences that results in the uniqueness of the individual.

The risks involved in cloning people as well as animals are of a much greater magnitude than many people realize. The most beneficial result that cloning can possibly present would be the ability to farm essential organs. But, we must realize the risks involved as well. There would most likely be myriad failures- as the premature demise of Dolly the sheep proved- before a single success, and there is still no concrete evidence that this would even be possible. Therefore, I conclude that the risks of cloning greatly outweigh whatever benefits that may ensue.

CRITICAL THINKING AND SYSTEMATIC THINKING

The first and fundamental step in the creative process is to have a clear notion of what the problem is and to be able to state it clearly. The effective thinker begins by first focusing on the structure of the problem, rather than its technical detail. Also brought into working memory from creative operations are the potentials solutions. These come from each person’s permanent memory store, his or her lifetime database of knowledge and experience. Other potential alternatives are brought in from such external sources of input as reading, ideas from colleagues, databases, and other sources. The articles, The Nature Of Scientific Reasoning by William R. Hanna and The Eureka Phenomenon written by Isaac Asimov brilliantly compare different ways of scientific course of thought and approaches to problem solving.

Isaac Asimov’s approach to problem solving is a unique one. He says that in any given situation, let your mind relax after heading a road block while doing any sort of critical thinking. He goes onto mention how Archimedes solved a relatively hard problem for King Heiron 11 by having a flash of deep insight during a moment of relaxation. However, Hanna talks about thought in a more critical manner. His point of view concerning that of scientific thinking is a more disciplined one. He likes more systematic ways of thinking, while Asimov is a more down-to-earth and open minded type of thinker.

Both classes of thinking are valid and special in their own ways. But it is up to the individual to find out what best suits him when it comes to solving not only scientific problems but any problem that may arise during the course of his life.