Virgin Birth

Today, New Scientist reports that stem cells can now be harvested without controversy through parthenogenesis, where an egg keeps two sets of chromosomes and begins to develop as if it’s been fertilized. However, an embryo cannot live past a few days by using this “virgin birth” method: “And that, according to its proponents, is the beauty of the technique as far as stem cells are concerned: it produces embryos that could never become human beings. So destroying these embryos to obtain stem cells would avoid the ethical concerns that have led to restrictions or bans on embryonic stem cell research in many countries.” Why does this sound too simple, like a machine that makes oil from animal bits? Sounds too much like cloning, or messing in god’s domain for many to readily buy this, especially couched in the religiously charged language the article employs.