I've been looking in to other scientists who have been involved in making cloning claims, and yes I have found one more, but we need to go back to 2002. This man fits the profile of other scientists who have revealed their intention to clone humans. The checklist is as follows:
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| Souce: Guardian UK |
Wants to cure infertility, by cloning-check.
Working from an undisclosed location (middle east)- check.
Won't publish his research on cloning- check.
Linked to the Raelian Sect and Clonaid- check.
The only he's missing is a cloned dog named Snuppy.
The gentleman in question is Professor Severino Antinori, an italian reproductive specialist, who has a history of working on the fringes of ethical science. Antinori's specialty was reproductive technology for older women. In 1994, Antinori caught the attention of the media for providing IVF treatment to a 59 year old woman, resulting in a pregnancy (Source BMJ News 15 January 1994). In 2002, Antinori claimed that a cloned child was expected from one of his patients within months (Source: CBS News). Obviously, neither scientific results or the cloned babies were ever produced. This is a familiar story in the cloning controversy. There are a number of "maverick" "mad" or just plain ridiculous scientists who make dramatic claims and produce no evidence. Whilst they retreat underground, I think that their function has been to desensitise the public to the notions of a much morally less confronting issue of therapeutic cloning.
Next time I will be looking at the cloning claims of a company that on the face of it seems to be honest and produce evidence at the very least....
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