A Louisiana lawmaker has
proposed a new law that will make it illegal to:
create or attempt to create a human-animal hybrid, . . . transfer or attempt to transfer a human embryo into a non-human womb . . . (or) transfer or attempt to transfer a non-human embryo into a human womb.
I understand how discomforting it can be to think of mommy as moommy, but consider the many benefits of artificial womb technology:
- People would still be people. You're not less human if you were a preemie and spent your first three months in a life support chamber.
- Abortion would almost disappear. People could put an unwanted baby up for adoption as soon as they learn they are pregnant. People who want to adopt a baby could ensure that it has the best prenatal care available.
- Women with medical conditions that require powerful drugs would not have to choose between their own lives and the lives of their unborn offspring.
- Artificial wombs would protect fetuses from the risks of everyday life, such as car accidents.
- High-risk pregnancies could be monitored by medical professionals 24/7.
- Premature births would have better outcomes if a baby could be transplanted into an artificial womb and provided with a normal gestation time.
- If for purely legitimate purposes we needed to raise a large army of clone warriors loyal only to me, we would be able to do so.
- Some fertility problems could be mitigated.
- Once the technology becomes safer than traditional pregnancy, it frees women from some of the negative side effects of pregnancy.
Artificial womb technology has many benefits and few drawbacks. Even if it were only used to save lives that would otherwise be lost, it would be worth it, but the long term potential is even greater.
Wow--interesting advantages!
ReplyDeleteThis proposed law seems to demonstrate a basic misunderstanding of the difference between crossing genes and making use of artificial wombs. I'm pretty sure such a law would be entirely unenforceable if the first place, as most the differences between animals and humans are not so much different genes as it is the different expression of the same genes. It's an attempt on a blanket ban on anything the Bishops might not like, with no understanding of what it actually means.
ReplyDeleteThe army of hybrid animal-human warriors though, that has a lot of potential. ;-)
It will be the best path to complete gender equality as both parents would be able to contribute the same amount of time and effort to the baby. I wonder how it will change humans when women no longer need to give birth, different genes could be favoured as women would no longer need those muscles and hips. If all babies were born this way for thousands of years genetic changed could mean that returning to natural birth would no longer be possible as genetic drift may occur. A bit like the appendix no longer functioning when diets changed.
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