NPR’s ‘Talk of the Nation’ discusses pig clones, pig viruses, and xenotansplantation. This week, researchers report that they have successfully cloned pigs. And new cloning techniques might make the pigs’ organs better suited for use in humans. But another group warns that a common pig virus might be transferred to humans as well. In this hour, we’ll look at the risks and benefits of xenotranplantation–transplanting cells and organs across species’ lines.
Pig clones, pig viruses, and xenotansplantation
Related posts
Climate Change: Examining a Fear of the Impractical
Climate change is shaping up to be a global catastrophe. I don’t think this is controversial. There will be food and water shortages, millions of people will be displaced due to rising sea levels, and this will unequally affect the poor and marginalized. As the degradation of the planet leads to worse health outcomes (to […]
Beyond Good Intentions: Structural Justice and the Future of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs
Black Americans experience nonfatal firearm assault at a rate more than 20 times that of White Americans. For Black men, this epidemic runs even deeper. It reflects a pattern that has held for decades: firearm assault rates are highest among Black Americans, while rates of firearm suicide are highest among White Americans. Black Americans bear […]
How the IVF Industry Exploits Down Syndrome Anxiety to Hard Sell the Controversial PGT-A Technique
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is emotionally and financially taxing, especially for women of advanced maternal age. As maternal age increases, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities (aneuploidy) in embryos rises, heightening fears of conditions like Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome. Capitalizing on this anxiety, the IVF industry heavily promotes Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A) as […]
Mapping the Moral Brain: Probing the Architecture of Ethical Decision-Making with TMS
There is growing research interest in the prevalence of moral injury – a profound psychological harm caused by judgments which deviate from what an individual or society views as “right” – among those who have been exposed to trauma, such as veterans and survivors of abuse. However, what makes a judgment “moral”? Philosophers have long […]