Can cloning produce another Einstein or Hitler?

Prof. D Bajracharya

Cloning is an asexual reproductive process that results in an offspring that is genetically identical to the individual from which it is derived. Theoretically, any plant or animal cell is potentially capable of regenerating the organism from which it derives. Each cell has all the necessary genetic information to fully develop into a complete and independent individual. As early as 1902, the German botanist Gottlieb Haberlandt suggested that all living plant cells are totipotent, that is each cell possesses the potentiality to develop into an entire plant. Nearly half a century later, in the late 1950s, the plant physiologist F.C.Steward for the first time experimentally proved totipotent property of plant cells by growing an entire carrot plant from small bits of its root tissues. Today, intact plants can easily be cloned from organs, tissues, pollens or protoplasts (cells without cell wall). While cloning is easy in plants, it is more difficult and complicated in higher animals such as mammals.

The breakthrough in animal cloning came in 1997 when Scottish researchers led by Ian Wilmut cloned a sheep - named Dolly – from a single cell of an adult ewe. Dolly was an exact replica of its mother. Since then experiments have been successfully repeated with many other animals, including rhesus monkeys - the animal most close to humans. These experiments opened the door to the prospect of human cloning. Cloning technology could create people genetically identical to any one else, dead or alive. Although human cloning has been banned for medical and ethical reasons in many countries, including the US and Europe, there are several renegade groups which are supposedly racing to produce the first cloned baby. It is inevitable that sooner or later someone will succeed.

Clonaid, a US-based company, claimed recently that it has produced the first human clone, a baby girl named ‘Eve’. The company further announced that a few more cloned babies were due to be born in the coming weeks. Although the claim has not yet been scientifically substantiated and is viewed by many with skepticism, the news of purported cloning created a sensation in the media and triggered a worldwide debate on its ethical, moral and medical implication.

Cloning has created both fear and fascination in the public’s mind. While some are fascinated by the prospect of applying the technique to clone the likes of Einstein, an embodiment of true genius, others fear that the same technique can be used to clone the likes of Hitler, a synonym of evil. Can cloning indeed produce another Einstein or Hitler? In other words, will a human clone physically and intellectually be an identical replica of the individual from which it was derived? In order to answer such a question we have to understand the complexities of the relative role of genes and the physical and social environment in shaping the mind and body of a human being.

Human beings possess a highly complex and well-developed nervous system. As a result, they are not only capable of a physiologically controlled pattern of behaviour but they also have the ability to learn and modify their behaviours. The learning abilities of human beings have reached to a level not found in any other animal. While the physiologically controlled pattern of behaviour, the so-called instinctive behaviour, is genetically programmed, the learning-based behaviour is determined by experience and influenced by the physical and social environment. It is very difficult to assess the relative contribution of genetically determined trait and learn the complex human behaviour, but both doubtless play important roles. Some human behaviours such as intelligence are very complex in which roles of genes and environment are inextricably intertwined. Human behaviour and intelligence is thus the product of genes (instincts) and environment (learning). An Einstein or a Hitler is not only a product of their genes but also of the environment in which they lived.

Reportedly, parts of Einstein’s brain still exist. A pathologist carried off and preserved his brain in hopes of learning the secrets of his genius. Even if it becomes technically possible one day to clone a baby with genes identical to that of Einstein by using his brain cells, it does not mean that such a clone will turn out to be a genius like Einstein. The clone, though with identical genes, will be living in an environment that is physically and socially different to that in which Einstein once lived. The clone will develop a behaviour and personality that are different from that of Einstein.

The same thing applies for a clone of Hitler, should it at all be possible to produce such a clone. (It is not known if Hitler’s body parts still exist, which could be used as the source of cells for cloning). Hitler was not only the product of his genes but also a product of the political and socio-economic environment prevailing in Germany and Europe at his time. A clone of Hitler will be raised in a socio-economically different world than Hitler. Therefore, the clone and Hitler will have different behaviours and be different persons.

The first human clone "Eve’, if indeed she was born as claimed by Clonaid, will also be raised in an environment that is different from the woman from whom she was derived. Eve and the woman will be genetically identical but still have different personalities.

Cloning can result in individuals with identical genes, but it is impossible for the cloning technology to produce new individuals with behaviour and personalities that are identical to the ones from which they were derived. In conclusion, cloning cannot create another Einstein or Hitler.

(The author is the Vice-Chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST))

Kyoto Protocol:- What is it all about?

Suvecha Pant

The Kyoto Protocol is a legally bind ing international agreement that will commit industrialised countries to reduce emissions of the six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and sulphur dioxide. Each of these gases has distinct properties, and the overall emissions reduction targets for the six gases are weighted by the relative heat-trapping effect of each gas.

The agreement specifies that both developed and developing countries must follow a number of steps including: designing and implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures; preparing national inventories of emissions removals by "carbon sinks"; implementation and cooperation in development and transfer of climate friendly technologies; and partnerships in research and observation of climate science, impacts and response strategies. Developing countries are not legally bound to emissions reductions targets yet because, historically, they have been responsible for only a small portion of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

Commitment Periods: Once adopted, the agreement will call for each country to remain within their assigned emissions quota over a five-year period, from 2008 to 2012, the first commitment period. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the overall emissions from industrialized countries would be reduced five percent below 1990 levels during this period, and negotiations on reduction commitments for subsequent periods must begin no later than 2005.

Emissions Reduction Targets: The target amounts for each country are listed as a percentage of their base-year emissions (1990 for most countries), ranging from a reduction of 8 percent for most European countries to a 10 percent increase for Iceland. A provision in the agreement allows for a nation to meet its reduction quota by reducing emissions from power plants and automobiles; however, developed countries can also achieve their commitments by deducting the greenhouse gas emissions absorbed by carbon sinks (like forests) from their gross emissions in the commitment period. This provision includes emissions absorbed or emitted by certain land-use changes and forestry activities, such as reforestation.

Once legally binding, the Kyoto Protocol will affect the energy industry in the following ways:

1). Higher energy costs to reduce demand for gasoline and electricity

2). Changing fuel specifications; reduced sulphur content in gasoline

3). Substantial expansion of natural gas exploration, production and delivery systems as natural gas replaces coal at utilities. This would also cause job losses in the coal industry

Ratification: The treaty becomes effective 90 days after ratification. The ratification procedure requires the signatures of 55 industrialised nations accounting for at least 55 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions from industrialized countries in 1990. Although the United States signed the agreement on Nov. 12, 1998, approval by a two-thirds majority in the Senate was not achieved. Even without U.S. approval, the Kyoto Protocol seems to be nearing its 55 percent ratification quota.

Progress: Czech Republic: Ratified November 2001, Romania: Ratified March 2001, European Union: Ratified May 2002, Japan: Ratified June 2002, Russia: Officially declared intention to ratify, Poland: Officially declared intent to ratify.

However, the withdrawal by President George Bush from the Kyoto Protocol has had the effect of raising the political profile of the Climate Change issue. It has been argued that the Protocol is flawed in various respects and that its contribution to the reductions in the longer term was going to be small. However, neither the US nor any other country has put forward any alternative proposal to the Kyoto Protocol. Rejecting the protocol would undo the work of 10 years of negotiations; the collapse of such a fundamental international agreement would discredit the entire multilateral process.

Furthermore, it has become increasingly apparent that without legally binding commitments of this kind defined by the Protocol very little progress will be made towards the mitigation of the deleterious impacts of anthropogenic climate change. It should be realised that, although the reductions demanded by the Protocol might appear to be small, they are still demanding - but not too demanding to be unachievable.

However, realisation of the Kyoto Protocol will only be a beginning - although a very important beginning - to what is going to be required to combat the deleterious impacts of climate change. To stabilise the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and hence to halt climate change global emissions of carbon dioxide will need to be reduced substantially below 1990 levels before the end of this century. This means that developed countries will face much larger reduction targets in the years following the Kyoto Protocol that runs until 2012. For instance, the 22nd report of Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution indicates that around 60% reductions below 1990 levels will be needed by the year 2050. The technology required for such changes is already available although a great deal of development is required to bring it on stream.

Since the time taken for necessary planning and implementation of the technology will take several years, action to begin the process must be taken now and it is necessary to realise that the Kyoto Protocol is a key.

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