Dougiefresh 0 #1 December 23, 2004 ... are soon parted. $50k for a CAT. http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/23/gen.us.clonedcat.ap/index.html Quote"It's morally problematic and a little reprehensible," said David Magnus, co-director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University. "For $50,000, she could have provided homes for a lot of strays."Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vallerina 2 #2 December 23, 2004 Wow. I'm stunned. Didn't her parents teach her about life and how death is a part of it?There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #3 December 23, 2004 That IS an adorable kitten. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #4 December 23, 2004 from a scientific standpoint, I don't have a problem with it. However, I don't think it's the most emotionally healthy thing for that woman to do. I wish she'd gotten a new kitty from the local shelter, and saved a life instead of creating a new one when there are already so many kitties without homes. It's a really good feeling knowing you've saved a life, and for many people, it's a good way to begin the healing process when an animal friend has passed on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bkdice 0 #5 December 23, 2004 yeah.... imagine how many homeless / sick / unwanted cats (or other animals) she could help with $50K. i understand loving your pet more than life, but i know when my dog goes, there is no getting him back - not for all the money in the world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #6 December 23, 2004 50K USD for a cat what about around 1.5M USD for a dildo ?? scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dougiefresh 0 #7 December 23, 2004 At least a dildo is useful for something.Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #8 December 23, 2004 How do you guys know she didn't donate $100,000 to a shelter as well? Being a little catty Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #9 December 23, 2004 pussies too scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #10 December 23, 2004 I'd pay $50,000 to clone my cat if they could make me one that didn't puke as much. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #11 December 23, 2004 Quote How do you guys know she didn't donate $100,000 to a shelter as well? How do you know she did? (I get a kick out of watching arguements like this in that other forum...always have thought they were funny)--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #12 December 23, 2004 Don't...so I'm not presuming to judge her. And don't give me that holier than thou crap...you get sucked into the arguments on occassion too. You're just more of a suckee than a sucker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ncrowe 0 #13 December 23, 2004 If she donated 100k it seems like it'd be a part of a feel good story and no one would have minded. I wouldnt pay 50 dollars for a cat much less 50 grand. This goes to show money does not make people smart "Don't Mess Around With the Guy in Shades- Oh No!!! " Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lemonjelly 0 #14 December 23, 2004 What T F is the point in witholding her surname, Her picture and location are both available "Their personalities are the same" ..... MY ARSE! F*&^ing idiot************************************************* RED LIGHTS & OFF LANDINGS ARE JUST MY THANG http://www.redlightrob.co.uk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #15 December 23, 2004 You know, the leader in animal cloning is Texas A&M University, the entire program was started by a very very rich man who wanted his dead dog cloned. He's spent millions (unreported for the exact amount) to upstart the program and the research to do it. A&M has pioneered the science due to this guy, and has given way to cloning all sorts of animals. Mainly prize show type animals, bulls, sheep, pigs and the such, but still. Kind of interesting that all of this research and knowledge started because one guy missed his dog.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markd_nscr986 0 #16 December 23, 2004 They better hurry up with human cloning so I can buy one.I can make my clone work 2 jobs and he can send money to me in HawaiiMarc SCR 6046 SCS 3004 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #17 December 23, 2004 QuoteAnd don't give me that holier than thou crap...you get sucked into the arguments on occassion too. You're just more of a suckee than a sucker. Hahaha...I was wondering if you were going to call me on that one. Usually it involves gross assumptions by certian people about a certain dead horse topic that you and I have similar views on... (trying to keep it all "Bonfire" ok with the wording).--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #18 December 23, 2004 Love the new avatar Dave. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #19 December 23, 2004 Can't help it, I'm a zelda fool right now. I WILL beat that damned game god damnit! I had forgotten how long and complex the game was...so much fun. I can't remember most of the tricks and such, so I'm having to rediscover them to play the game.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #20 December 23, 2004 Quote(trying to keep it all "Bonfire" ok with the wording). You mean, you're baing a little "gun shy"? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumperconway 0 #21 December 23, 2004 Purr-fectly engineered And now, a pair for the "creepy but coming" file... A little over six months ago (Daily Dose, 5/18/04), I wrote about how cloning has gone mainstream - starting with pets, specifically cats. To recap that earlier piece, there's a firm in California (figures, doesn't it?) called Genetic Savings and Clone that'll provide wealthy pet owners with genetic duplicates of their deceased felines for around $50,000. But for a fraction of that figure, you may soon be able to get a guaranteed-healthy, genetically engineered cat that's almost completely hypoallergenic, to boot! A Los Angeles company called Allerca (what is it with California and the bio-tech cats?) has announced the development of a new breed of cat based on a British short- haired variety that'll be almost entirely free of the allergy- causing proteins that trigger sneezing and wheezing in millions of people across the country. Hoping to offer the first of these in the marketplace by 2007, the firm estimates domestic sales of 200,000 of these purr-fectly bred felines per year. And at $3500 apiece, they'll rake in a tidy gross of $7 million a year from domestic sales alone if they hit this mark. Not a bad chunk of change, huh? If this sounds like an overly optimistic figure, consider this: Roughly 10% of the country's populace (or around 27 million Americans) are to one degree or another allergic to cats. In some extreme cases, cat allergies can trigger asthmatic attacks, respiratory failure - even death. The treatment of cat allergies is currently a multi-billion dollar industry. But my question is this: Why stop with allergy control? Why not breed cats that don't shed - or that can't breed - or that always stay kittens? Better yet, why stop with genetically engineered cats? Why not design dogs that can't bark over 75 decibels or that won't chase cars or that instinctually use the toilet instead of the lawn? Think these things aren't coming? Think again... We've already got genetically designed glow-in-the-dark pet fish and the aforementioned cloned cats. And scientists have long been tinkering with wild creatures to try to make them more hardy or less able to harm us - like mosquitoes that can't carry diseases (Daily Dose, 1/23/04). Beyond this, it may not be much longer before our pets are more than genetically engineered - they're just plain engineered. Robo-cat to the rescue Robotic pets have long been a staple of science-fiction movies and novels - but it seems the fabricated feline is no longer a figment of fiction. According to a recent ABC News report, several robotic cats have been in use since 2001 to help health professionals to treat Alzheimer's patients and others with sensory diseases or degenerative mental conditions. Apparently, interaction with this Robo-cat have proven quite beneficial to certain types of patients - especially those who can't care for a real pet. Manufactured in Japan, the high-tech tabby can stretch, purr, meow, twitch its tail, detect movement, respond to stroking or petting, and even recognize its name. The article didn't specify whether the fake feline could perform typical cat antics like killing mice, coughing up synthetic hairballs, or sleeping 16 hours a day. Use of the copy-cat as a therapeutic tool has been pioneered by a husband-and-wife team of Georgetown University scientists as part of a broader field they've pioneered called robotic psychology (nope, I'm not even making this up). Kind of creepy-sounding, if you ask me... But hey, I'm still stuck in the dark ages when pets were bred naturally. This cool cat never copies the crowd, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #22 December 23, 2004 QuoteYou mean, you're baing a little "gun shy"? Yeah, that's it.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjhdiver 0 #23 December 23, 2004 Quote... are soon parted. $50k for a CAT. http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/23/gen.us.clonedcat.ap/index.html Who cares ? It's her money and her cat. I see the benefit in this as research for the companies involved. It's not so much about getting more cats, but rather advancing the science so that they can successfully clone more and more complex animals for greater profits. We all know that this is going to end up with human cloning sometime, so they might as well work the bugs out on domestic animals and let confused pet owners foot the bill. Besides, you only have to watch one episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous to realize that there's a lot of wealthy people out there spending money on crap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
