Bush speech sparks human-animal hybrid craze
Washington - When US President George W. Bush called for a ban on creating human-animal hybrids, he not only raised awareness of a little known issue but also opened himself to a new round of ridicule.
Bush certainly got people to pay attention to this issue as internet traffic soared and an ingenuous online apparel store sought to capitalize on the interest.
While the term human-animal hybrid sounds like something from a science fiction or horror film, Bush, during his state of the union address Tuesday, was not talking about werewolves or centaurs - the mythical creatures that are half human and half wolf or horse.
Instead, he was advocating restrictions on scientists working with human and animal cells.
In fact, hybrids that result from combining the cells of different species are referred to as chimeras, another mythical creature that combined features of a lion, goat and snake.
In January 2005, National Geographic News reported that scientists 'have begun blurring the line between human and animal,' pointing to the fusion of human cells and rabbit eggs in China, or experiments putting human brain cells in mice.
But the issue was little known in the US before Bush's annual State of the Union speech before Congress Tuesday night.
'Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research: human cloning in all its forms, creating or implanting embryos for experiments, creating human-animal hybrids, and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos,' he told legislators.
The statement has provoked ridicule on the internet and on the popular television news spoof 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' - testimony to how closely the American public follows the annual speech.
Technorati.com, a website that measures Internet traffic, listed 'human-animal hybrid' as its second most popular search term. On the day after the speech, more people searched for the phrase than in the previous year combined, according to the site.
Only hours after Bush concluded his remarks, an online apparel store had already designed a T-shirt showing a monkey wearing a tie.
'Help President Bush raise awareness about these terrible half- man/half beast creatures by wearing this T-shirt and exposing the horrible truth about human-animal hybrids,' the come-on pitch says.
Scientists hope that chimeras will help them find cures to diseases or even grow 'spare' parts for humans, but ethicists are viewing such experiments with skepticism.
Canada has already banned chimeras, according to National Geographic News, and Bush hopes the US will follow suit soon.
Nonetheless, human-animal hybrids have not been on the congressional agenda. The term has not been uttered on the floor of the House of Representatives or the Senate since the 109th Congress took office more than a year ago.
Source: dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Washington - When US President George W. Bush called for a ban on creating human-animal hybrids, he not only raised awareness of a little known issue but also opened himself to a new round of ridicule.
Bush certainly got people to pay attention to this issue as internet traffic soared and an ingenuous online apparel store sought to capitalize on the interest.
While the term human-animal hybrid sounds like something from a science fiction or horror film, Bush, during his state of the union address Tuesday, was not talking about werewolves or centaurs - the mythical creatures that are half human and half wolf or horse.
Instead, he was advocating restrictions on scientists working with human and animal cells.
In fact, hybrids that result from combining the cells of different species are referred to as chimeras, another mythical creature that combined features of a lion, goat and snake.
In January 2005, National Geographic News reported that scientists 'have begun blurring the line between human and animal,' pointing to the fusion of human cells and rabbit eggs in China, or experiments putting human brain cells in mice.
But the issue was little known in the US before Bush's annual State of the Union speech before Congress Tuesday night.
'Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research: human cloning in all its forms, creating or implanting embryos for experiments, creating human-animal hybrids, and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos,' he told legislators.
The statement has provoked ridicule on the internet and on the popular television news spoof 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' - testimony to how closely the American public follows the annual speech.
Technorati.com, a website that measures Internet traffic, listed 'human-animal hybrid' as its second most popular search term. On the day after the speech, more people searched for the phrase than in the previous year combined, according to the site.
Only hours after Bush concluded his remarks, an online apparel store had already designed a T-shirt showing a monkey wearing a tie.
'Help President Bush raise awareness about these terrible half- man/half beast creatures by wearing this T-shirt and exposing the horrible truth about human-animal hybrids,' the come-on pitch says.
Scientists hope that chimeras will help them find cures to diseases or even grow 'spare' parts for humans, but ethicists are viewing such experiments with skepticism.
Canada has already banned chimeras, according to National Geographic News, and Bush hopes the US will follow suit soon.
Nonetheless, human-animal hybrids have not been on the congressional agenda. The term has not been uttered on the floor of the House of Representatives or the Senate since the 109th Congress took office more than a year ago.
Source: dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
