What would be practical reasons for making human-animal hybrids?
I’m writing a blog that, for now, is focused on making as many arguments that people should make human-animal hybrids legal, and eventually, happen. I’m currently on a page about practical reasons and I’m finding it hard to get detailed information. Can anyone help?
P.S. In zoology because I can’t think of a better category.
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To provide transplantable organs. Already we have pigs that produce human insulin. Human-compatable tissue in animals would solve the organ donor shortage.
On a more cynical and sci-fi level, suppose quasi-inteligent chimara, say a human / chimp hybrid, was produced, capable of doing human level work. Would it count as human? Would it have any rights? Would it be entitled to pay?
Could we not breed a slave class of sub-human workers?
(I think the answer is no we wouldn’t, for ethical reasons, but it would make a good story!)
The ethical model would allow humans to adopt other species characteristics for the survival of the human race.
Global climate collapse – requiring humans to plan long term modification their bodies and diet to cope with a hostile environment.
Similarly – extended periods in space.
Respiratory system function, hibernation, cellulose digestion, temperature acclimatisation, asexual reproduction, photosynthesis are possible genetic modifications (though the last one involves plant tissue.)
D. E. Bunker, pigs DNA has been supplemented with genetic material from jellyfish creating a species which glows green.
Speaking strictly hypothetically, there are certain advantages that animals have that human beings could attempt to co-opt. Thicker skin from lizards or rhinos, more natural insulation and strength from polar bears, accelerated healing from any number of animals. Finding out how to do that, however, is a very complex, expensive, and time consuming matter.
The problem is that a majority of the people interested in such a thing are less inclined toward the practical side of things and more toward the fantastical elements.
Firstly if you are serious about getting good suggestions/ arguments then try re listing this Question in Anthropology – the study of humans,ancient/ modern, fossils etc .
Will try to answer your first Question here.
Hundreds of human genes have been added to mice embryos in order to see what the genes do. These are mostly the suspect genes for human genetic defects. If the resulting Transgenic mice get the same/ or similar defect then researchers can then test Various medicines, operations, treatments in both a cost effective and non hazardous to humans manner.
Human anti rejection/ immune genes added to pigs in the hope of getting pigs to grow human size organs that are cloned from human tissue/ stem-cells but grown in gene modified transgenic pigs. pigs ARE FAST GROWING AND REPRODUCING EVEN Transgenic ones.
As for trying to make mermaids, Minotaurs, Pan the Forn, or Human / Ape Hybrids as slaves or mercenaries, these would be even on drawing board/planning prohibitory expensive to create an infant let alone a healthy adult. Billions of $ with little chance of partial success. Time frame would also take far to long even if no other problems.