CGS-authored

The United States is in the midst of a gold rush over human-embryo research. Not to be outdone by California's Proposition 71, which affirmed research cloning and committed $3 billion for stem-cell work, New Jersey became the second state to support embryo creation for research as part of its more modest stem-cell initiative. Now numerous other states, including Massachusetts, Maryland, and Wisconsin, are jumping in with proposals to similarly fund research cloning, also called somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT. Compared with most other countries, the United States has become the Wild West, awash in private and public money looking toward human benefit and hefty economic returns.

This is happening against the backdrop of a resounding but nonbinding vote last week by the United Nations calling for all governments to ban the cloning of human embryos for any purpose. This call echoes a raft of legislation by individual nations. A Swiss law that took effect earlier this month is typical of laws in most European countries: It bans embryo creation outright. That is, it forbids scientists from creating human research...