THE DEBATE over cloning “is remarkably muted, it seems to me, considering its | implications. If there is such a thing as heresy against nature, this surely must be it.. We are now reaching down into the genes to manipulate the stuff of life. we Cloning is the biologic al cquiva- “lent of the physical achievement of é “splitting: the ntom, > And in some ways, it might ulti- 7 mitaly threaten us even more than he bomb, although the “threat” smay only be to us as we know our- "selves. : » Whatever mutants emerge in our wake will doubtlessly view the con- : -quest of DNA as a holy event. On their calendar. the year to “celebrate will probably be 1981, “which was when Swiss scientists first cloned a mouse. “Not since the world was created ‘had any of.the Earth’s — or God's "— creatures tictually sat down and “manufactured another creature, - Sure; we were using an existing * ‘lueprin but it was a manmade * |. prove to be the key event in planc- tary history, maybe the purpose, for ull we know, of all that went — - and is still coming — before.’ a “The fact i is, WC are ‘unbelievably close toa major extension of our ability to survive. It’s noi 100 far- . fetched to throw around the term “practical ’ immortality.” oe What happened i in Switzerland ~13 years ago was the Creation of a complete creature from'a single cell ‘taken { from a mammal: [twas just a matter of time until a human |, imbryo. becimie growable i in a test is, ust as lightly further matter of time before, human clones” are walking, singing, dancing and ‘ynaking love among us:, Bathtub humans’ probably «what they {tl be called, or some, - ariation on that, much worse... “Would you want your daughter or son to marry one? Would i il ever ‘be legal?‘ - "Once clone rights ar are writicn into. whatever Constitution we have by then, bet‘on it! ("ll start off as he Clone Protection Regulations, Some good liberal cause like ‘that, and turn from there into full- . » fledged inalienable and inkierent + privileges, as good as anyone ‘else's, d cun hear a clone telling me. not “The Perfect ASP Investment! ‘<” Provincial Government , Guaranteed ‘Please Call: . The North Shore’s only (Fall Service Investment Firm ‘DOMINION Best SECURITIES . Member of Royal Bank Group.’ 201-250 15th St., West Vancouver j= a S STRICTLY PERSONAL so far down the road: “Just because you were here first doesn’t mean you're the only ones that count...” If we can have serious ethical debates about animal rights, and the standing in the courts of trees, we'll certainly be able to work ourselves into fantastic Gordian knots over the Icgitimacy of clones that will eventually, in all respects except one, be human — that one factor ".being’a soul. But we all know what kind of standing souls enjoy in the courts. Zip. Memories, whether biologic: lly “taped” or not, will count, and probably documentation which, by that time, will likely be done with some sort of molecular stamp, I suspect that some variation on the philosophy of Deep Ecology is - what the clones will adopt, which is . a biocentric. as opposed to anthro- pomorphic view of the world, wherein the survival of human beings, or humanity itself, takes second place to the divevolutionary imperatives of the planet asa’ whole, : If this sounds tike science tic- tion, that’s because it still is. 1 just don’t think it will be for long. I think we'll see headlines -before the end of the century about the first people to undergo identity reconstruction through cloning. There’s no theoretical limit, “such as the physical sciences face when they contemplate the speed of light, when il comes to the possibil- iNes of the cloning process. Would it be possible, for instance, instead of making a car- ‘bon-copy of yourself, to instead, one picce at atime, replace all the paris of the body without overall loss al the “ego-ficld” of individual consciousness? . In other words, through cach amputation and replacement with a cloned ergan, limb or lymph sys- tem, you would continue to experi- ence yourself as “you,” even though you'd ultimately replace all your body parts except for your brain with cloned material. We already routinely exchange all the cells in our bodies, except the brain cells. Every cell in the hunian body digs und is repliced by a replica — a naturally-occurring clone cell — every seven years. Replacement of old or damaged humun cells with cloned material designed to last longer and wear tougher is something no govern- ment will be able to resist, because of popular demand and market forces. What price do you put on longevity? Especially in a post industrial society with an aging mijority population? Nobody knows how Jong our lifespans might be extended through biotechnology, or exactly how long before it becomes avail- able, but some futurists ~~ Arthur C. Clarke among them — believe the next stage of evolution, whatev- er itis, will come with lightning speed. Clarke warns that the next stage of evolution may be the switch from a carbon-based form of con- sciousness, tike ours, to a silcon- based artificial intelligence, such as computers arc in the process of being given. How long would a higher, more organized silcon-based computer intelligence tolerate an evolutionar- ily-redundant humanity? Only as long as we-couid contral it, Clarke argues. Not a minute longer. It is casy to see. two divergent “courses of evolution opening ahead. with artificial inteltigence cvalving in one direction, and human clones moving along a different track into the future. But that’s another prob- lem. isn’t it? The real promise of cloning isn’t So much that we'll be able to have ourselves cloned instead of having to resort to messy, imperfect repro- duction, but that our self-censcious- ness itself might travel down through the ages, shedding clone- bodies as casually as crabs shed their shells. ! Dazzling thought, isn’cit? ‘ * Do you enioy caring for children? + Would you like to earn some maney in your own home? If so, call us for free advice and available support services to start your own family daycare °o 4 «THE CHILD CARE SUPPORT PROGRAM” : Sponsored by 4 CHILDCARE RESOURCE SOCIETY ogs. 2988 Riverside Drive Collision offers the very best workmanship at the best prices in town. If you want your car fixed right, for less money, you must get a quote from Riverside Collision. Riverside Brive: Gestici ICBC WORK PAINTING RESTORATIONS 924-1331 159C Riverside Drive, N.Van. BEHIND BLUERIDGE PET HOSPITAL DRAPERIES BY S. LAURSEN cuUsTOM BEDSPREADS, TRACKS AND VALANCES Labour $8.50 per panel unlined, $9.50 lined, CUSTOM DRAPERIES & BLINDS At low, low prices. For FREE Estimates call 987-2966 (Ask about Seniors’ Discounts) Serving the North Shore for 23 years Serving World Fameus Fish & Chip s. in HORSESHOE BAY simee 1 946 ¢ Expires Jan. 31/94 . Mon.-Thurs. only | 2 p.m. to closing * Horseshoe Bay loca- - tion only ® Eat-in only Buy the first entree, and receive a second. entree of equal or lesser vaiue with this ad, FREE? 6408 Bay Street West Vancouver 921-7755 need not take years “Not all counselling methods are created cqual,” says Dan Rutley, a 13 year counselling veteran - on the North Shore. While most methods are more esoteric or indirect, Rutlcy tends to prefer a more direct, yet celaxcd approach. You wouldn't want your physician to take an indirect approach to your health. “When people are in distress, being — direct usually means quicker results and faster relief. And that’s important,” say Rutley. Whether Ruticy is helping you lose weight, stop smoking or overcome . feeling down, loncly and uneonfident, the focus is on long term results. He'll also help you: become more assertive and get your relationship back on track. Practical problems in life are often followed by emotional distress. This distress makes solving the problena less likely. Rutlcy helps you to feel better, no matter what your present life situation is, ‘ninking problem solving more likely. Get a new outlook on life, feel better and start solving some of your life’s problems. Cail now for your free f consultation at. 984 - 9904. Advertarial