Here's the background...

Animal-Human Hybrids Spark Controversy

Let's skip the controversial part and go to the fun, imaginative part.

I always wanted "cat eyes" as a kid so I could see in the dark. Being able to change my skin color chameleon style would be cool too. I also like the idea of being able to glow in the dark like some of those deep sea creatures.

So, in a tankgirl questioning kind of way, what sort of mods would you like to have done to your own body (or your offspring) that are borrowed from our animal friends?

I can see it now...I'll bet this gets immature real quick.....

I don't need any mods! In case you forgot this is what LONEWOLF(UF) and Wife look like ! Hehe

_{picture stolen from none other then Rabban himself !} B)

Last edited: Friday, January 28, 2005 at 7:24:27 AM

Weird pic... Did NOT need to see that...
Anyways, I'm half-weasel already, so I really don't need it.
My other half is chipmunk, by the way...

Now that I think of it, though, infrared vision would be nice, and flying would be downright kewl...
FLYING CHIPMUNK!!!

Huh. Well the article touches on some very controversial and strange stuff. I'm all for genetic research to help find cures for diseases and such, but creating animal hybrids seems a bit over the top. And creating HUMAN and animal hybrids is just too bizarre to even consider. I think there needs to be some value in genetic manipulation by scientists, or else it starts to verge into the realm of "mad science" a la 'The island of Doctor Moreau' You just know one of these experiments will go wrong and we'll have a mess on our hands. The article mentions Stanford looking to breed mice with human brains. WTF?? Why? What purpose could that have?? Again, I'm not against basic genetic research to learn as much as possible about how our bodies (or other animals' bodies) work and to use that understanding to fight off diseases like cancer, MS and such. But this chimera creature stuff, I dunno, just sounds like playing God a bit too much to me.
Could we be seeing the very beginnings of the real life X-Men? Science fiction can really teach us some things. We just need to pay attention.

Now, all that aside, it would be cool to have cat vision and reflexes! I'd also like to have wings so I could fly anywhere I wanted. Would be a hell of lot better than my daily commute. ;) The only problem with being both a cat and a bird is that I imagine I would have an overwhelming instinct to attack myslef all day long! %) Heh.

Last edited: Friday, January 28, 2005 at 8:02:07 AM

WOW!!!!

I realize that this is still theoretical, but this technology could throw the religious world into a hissy fit of "biblical" proportions.
(and I have to laugh a bit)

The Bible would need to be appended to include "Man was created in the image of Mickey Mouse."

A question to the bible-thumpers among us;
Does the human baby (which IS actually a mouse that was manipulated by SCIENCE to become human) have a soul? If so, when did that happen?, when the scientists manipulated the genes of the mice? Maybe when the mouse-goo was mixed together in a petrie dish and the sperm & egg "mated" ? Maybe when the mouse spawn was placed inside the willing human female uterus? When exactly DOES the soul from genetically engineered mouse-sperm appear?

The conundrum is, IF mice are genetically engineered to produce human sperm and eggs, and mice are NOT covered by the spiritual "lifetime guarantee to go to heaven if you repent before you expire" clause, what spiritual rights do their human offspring have?

The funny thing is, as we ALL know, pop religion is choking on conundrums that can only be answered with the blanket "god's will" or "god works in mysterious ways" since there are no practical resolutions to many of the inherent hypocrisies. Technologies like those in the article Rabby posted will further illuminate many religious belief systems as being in the dark ages. Organized religion will NEVER let this kind of technology be adopted because it pokes WAY too many holes in the teachings.

Setting aside the religious aspects, I personally think the whole thing is fascinating, creepy, and bewildering.
K8

LONEWOLF!!! You're going to haunt me forever with that picture! %)

Just so everyone knows, I was searching for wolf photos to aid me in creating Lone's custom skin and I stumbled upon the two lovers posted above.

But I think the joke's on Lone since I believe the two lovers depicted are of the same gender. ;)

Gay marriage doesn't just apply to humans!!! Quick, call Newsweek!
I still think that pic is weird...

@TG - "as we ALL know"??? Define "we". (sheesh!)

Anyway, I can speculate on an answer for you. I can imagine some Bible scholars saying that the "mouse child" wouldn't have a soul and may be considered an abomination by God since it wasn't part of the human family God created, wouldn't be a decendant of Adam and not produced after its kind as decreed in Genesis. It could even be considered some strange sort of bestiality. I'm not saying this for certain, but I can see how the line of thinking could go that way.

Now I think its interesting that you would assert that only organized religion would have an issue with this. You don't think any opposition would come from any other voices? There's already debate within the scientific community concerning what some are already trying to do with the technology and hybrid capabilities that are currently being explored. They're trying to figure out how ethical it is and how to distinguish at what point does something stop being animal and start being human.

I'm not sure how society would react to such a thing either. When considering how other non-white groups were considered "subhuman" for so long, how would society deal with a person who's biological parents truely weren't human at all. That could get really messy, quickly.

Still, its all speculation. I was just trying to have a little fun with the concept.

Just because we can do a thing, doesn't mean we must do a thing (some quote from somewhere).

Hiya Rabby,
"We" means everyone who is interested in popular religion. Whether you are an active participant or on the outside looking in.

On the outside, "we" mock the idea that every theological dead end is capped off with "God works in mysterious ways" etc... The Bible thumpers seem comfortable with the exact same concept, all conceptual dead ends are the mysterious work of god, and to claim to understand how god works is sacrilege because you would then be considering yourself to be gods equal.

Super convenient....

I will stand by my "We ALL know..." statement... (although my phrasing was a bit inflammatory eh?)
Sorry, the devil made me do it.
;)

Also, I never claimed that ONLY pop religious types would have a problem with this scenario. I just focussed on religion in my post. I agree that it would be a long and slippery slope trying to get this kind of technology into the mainstream.

Last edited: Friday, January 28, 2005 at 10:33:03 AM

Well, the "God's will" argument may be popular with people new to the faith and/or unlearned in heavier theology when faced with a "theological dead end", but the leaders in Biblical theology don't give such easy answers. I wish those who were unhappy with the "grade school" answers to "doctorate" questions would push past the first group and discover the appropriate group to answer their questions. :(

Rabby,
when I said "claim(ing) to understand how god works is sacrilege because you would then be considering yourself to be gods equal",
I was pretty much quoting you from a debate from a LONG time ago. This was your answer to why we can't possibly understand "God's Will" regarding the tragedies in our world.

"God's Will" sure does seem to be the most typical reply (from religious people) regarding all of the terrible things that happen in our world.

Certainly I am using stereotypes, but am I wrong about this?

K8

Could you provide me a link to that to refresh my memory?

_{(excellent setup by the way.)}

Last edited: Friday, January 28, 2005 at 11:46:35 AM

LOL Rabby....
Not intended as a setup my friend...

I wish I did have a link, but I remember clearly because I thought it was a very interesting point. Made a big impact on me. Maybe it was in one of our emails. I think I still have them all, I will try to take a look.

Anyway, off to pick up my kids.. Have a good night Rabby, I will try to look in on this thread later.
:)

K8