Topic: Bioethics

The legal ban on human cloning is discussed as evidence that the technology is viable and potentially already in use off the books. While public milestones like Dolly the Sheep and the Raelian movement's "Eve" made headlines, current scientists use synthetic embryos to bypass 14-day experimentation limits. These advancements raise philosophical questions regarding the soul and legal status of artificially grown entities.

Chronological milestones in cloning include the 1998 creation of a human-cow embryo and the 2018 birth of cloned macaques named Zong Zong and Hua Hua. In 2023, researchers created synthetic human embryos without using eggs or sperm, effectively navigating around existing bioethical legislation. The director of bioethics at Stanford, David Magnus, shares a surname with the legendary alchemist Albertus Magnus, who reportedly created a speaking homunculus.