…seems to have taken on a new meaning. The Guardian reports:

British scientists are seeking permission to create hybrid embryos in the lab by fusing human cells with rabbit eggs. If granted consent, the team will use the embryos to produce stem cells that carry genetic defects, in the hope that studying them will help understand the complex mechanisms behind incurable human diseases.

The logic:

“The fertility of rabbits is legendary,” said Prof Shaw. “The most important thing is that with animal eggs, we have a much better chance of generating stem cells and if we wait for human eggs, it’s going to be maybe a decade before we can do this. If we can use animal eggs, we could maybe have stem cells within one or two years,”

At one level, of course one thinks about the ethics of the various uses of stem cell research. But at the other , there is no denying its obvious benefits to society. Be it in terms of germ resistant crops or in terms of cure of otherwise curable diseases.

The people who oppose it on religious grounds need to just look back at the history of science. every single major discovery has been opposed by religious organisations. And I don’t really buy the western (read fundamentalist Christian) religious argument – if ‘God” didn’t want us (humanity) doing these things she wouldn’t have given us curiousity.
People who oppose it on grounds of ethics – need only to remember that it is too early in the day to predict every single use or abuse the technology can be put too. I am sure I don’t want genetically engineered killer zombie rabbit (for the want of a better example) with an Uzi bearing down my highway – but that is , I am sure a long way off.And, by the time that we get to that point – the society then will make rules that it seems appropriate to handle the situation.
There is no point in agonizing about a tomorrow that may never happen, and give up the fruits that could make today better.