Drawing upon qualitative interviews with monozygotic (identical) twins sharing 100% of their genes, and with dizygotic (fraternal) twins and singletons as control groups, this paper explores what it means to be genetically identical. (The twins interviewed were from the TwinsUK register in London.) In the context of the ongoing debate on human reproductive cloning, it examines questions such as...

Human cloning refers to the production of genetically identical humans. This cloning is possible via either ‘‘embryo splitting’’ or ‘‘nuclear transfer’’. Embryo splitting involves the separation of an early human embryo into two or more parts. Each of these parts has the potential to develop into a blastocyst (late embryo), which, if implanted, can develop into a child. This is how genetically ...

The 1998 announcement by American researcher Richard Seed that he intended to clone a human person for reproductive reasons created a large amount of journalistic attention and controversy in the Danish mass media. Developing a theoretical framework inspired by Bruno Latour, this paper analyzes the mass mediated articulation of this announcement as an exploration of the socially viable interpre...

with regard to human cloning or artificial human reproduction – and contrary to the opinions of sunni scholars - shiite thinkers have not held a unified position. after having surveyed a number of shiite fatwas and analyses on the subject, this essay will classify them into four groups. the first group states that we are granted absolute permission to engage in human cloning; while the second g...

It is difficult to harmonise faith and the desire to follow religious teachings and obligations on the one hand, and scientific advances and their use for the benefit of suffering humanity on the other. This is an especially delicate matter for patients and health professionals in reproductive medicine. It deals with the conflicting issues of contraception, termination of pregnancy, assisted re...