Wednesday, April 10, 2013

group 1- Dolly the Sheep

Was the first word that came to mind, "cloning"? Well, that's only natural. Dr. Ian Wilmut named Dolly, the first "clone," after Dolly Parton because the cells used to clone her came from mammary gland tissue. Apparently, science shouldn't have a sense of humor. It was the first mistake, that only started a cascade of mistakes, of Dr. Ian Wilmut. Because most people think of copy when they hear the word clone, the media grabbed at the sensationalism of the term, and it blew up from there.

Should blame rest on the media or should Dr. Ian Wilmut have to take the bad rap?

2 comments:

  1. The general public is often scared of what they think they know. When they hear "clone" they imagine an organism that is simply already an adult without explanation. Dolly still had to be born and grow into adult, experiencing all of the difficulties that come with that process. I'm fine with the word "clone" but maybe the science community should have used a different term when revealing their accomplishment to the general public.

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  2. Blame should definitely rest on the media, in my opinion they always blow things out of proportion. I've yet to hear Dolly Parton release a statement in which she says she felt disrespected about the comment, that's if she even knows about the comment at all. Journalism has devalued itself through the media, in my opinion.

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