Ethical Discussion Questions - Teacher Guide
While nearly all of these questions are based on opinion, we have provided some points to consider when discussing these topics.
Animal Cloning
Scientists wanted to clone an extinct Tasmanian tiger. Do you think this is a good idea, or a bad idea?
Some important points to consider:
What are some possible ecological consequences of reintroducing a once-extinct species?
Does it make a difference if the animal is extinct because of human causes, or natural causes (for instance, the Tasmanian tiger is extinct because of human invasion on its natural habitat, whereas dinosaurs became extinct because of natural causes)? Should scientists try to fix the mistakes of humans who killed off the last of species?
Some things to consider:
Would you clone a favorite pet? Why or why not? Does cloning guarantee that the animal will act the same as the one you know?
Some things to consider:
Some important points to consider:
- What animal would give birth to the tiger? It would need to be similar in order to have a smooth birth. When scientists were looking into cloning the tiger, they considered using a Tasmanian devil.
- Low cloning success rate
What are some possible ecological consequences of reintroducing a once-extinct species?
- The current ecosystem developed without that extinct animal, so the predator/prey relationships would be changed if the extinct species was reintroduced. The current ecosystem may not be able to sustain the extinct animal.
Does it make a difference if the animal is extinct because of human causes, or natural causes (for instance, the Tasmanian tiger is extinct because of human invasion on its natural habitat, whereas dinosaurs became extinct because of natural causes)? Should scientists try to fix the mistakes of humans who killed off the last of species?
Some things to consider:
- Are people sure of the exact cause of extinction, or is it just a guess?
- Who decides which extinct species to clone?
- What if cloned extinct species is not exactly similar to the original species? Will this impact the environment more?
Would you clone a favorite pet? Why or why not? Does cloning guarantee that the animal will act the same as the one you know?
Some things to consider:
- Life experiences can affect the personality of a pet
- Cloning has a very low success rate
Human Cloning
Should scientists try to clone a human?
Some things to consider:
Why would cloning a human be different from cloning an animal?
Should scientists try to clone organs, so that organ donors are no longer needed?
Some things to consider:
- Success rate with animals is low
- Humans are very complex. How would logic and personality be affected by cloning?
- Experimental use of humans is considered immoral
Why would cloning a human be different from cloning an animal?
- Humans are more complex, and have higher-level thinking skills.
- Human clones may not live as long as normal humans
Should scientists try to clone organs, so that organ donors are no longer needed?
- Availability of organs might solve many medical problems
- Organs grown this way may be rejected by the patient’s immune system