Does this idea give anyone else the "willies"?

[url=http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,648024,00.html][b]Scientists have developed an artificial womb that allows embryos to grow outside the body.[/b][/url]

"Scientists have created prototypes made out of cells extracted from women's bodies. Embryos successfully attached themselves to the walls of these laboratory wombs and began to grow. However, experiments had to be terminated after a few days to comply with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) regulations.
'We hope to create complete artificial wombs using these techniques in a few years,' said Dr Hung-Ching Liu of Cornell University's Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility."

...

"...both (researcher teams) believe artificial wombs capable of sustaining a child for nine months will become reality in a few years."

...

"'Some feminists even say artificial wombs mean men could eliminate women from the planet and still perpetuate our species."

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Abortion implications: "...if artificial wombs are developed, the (aborted) foetus could be placed in one, and the woman told she has to look after it once it has developed into a child.' "

...

I gotta admit, this just creeps me out. [(:|)]

Now that couldn't be all bad.  If they spent a little time and money to the advancement of the pocket pussy..........

Now we can make invetros or "tanks" just like
on "Space above and Beyond".

[:O]

I find it ironic that the lesbofeminists have been erasing the need for males in our society for thirty years, yet they immediately see this as an attack against women's very  existence.[rolleyes]

Definately wierd...

'Sorta reminds me of the old movie, "Invasion of the body snatchers"

Or even "Aliens"

Anything that grows from a "pod" is really creepy...

WTF is this world coming to ?

Can a person buy one of these units that can be be mounted on the back of a pickup so that you can go camping in it?

I think the fur on the outside would negate the need for an LP heater.

Think about it. Wouldn't it be comfortable?





Macallan is what you try to teach your children not to be. God help him. These are my friends.

HEY!  Now Heather really will have two dads!  

Seriously.

Future conversations will probably hinge on common experiences such as:  "I'm a member of the 408 group petri dish/pool.  No shit! I was hatched in 410!  What are the odds of that! blah, blah, blah".

Do these "wombs" argue much? How much complaining do they do?
Let's not be so judgemental.[:D]

[>:/]

Yes, it is very creepy stuff. I thought that it wouldn't happen at least for another 20-30 years.

The implications of an artificial womb affects  the abortion debate in a big way.

We had a debate on this very subject in one of my Philosophy/Logic classes in college.

At that time an artificial womb was something that only existed in sci-fi. But it was discussed as a very probable medical breakthrough in the debate. "What will happen when babies can survive out of the womb before the third trimester or just after the time of conception?" "How will the medical profession re-adjust their definitions about the beginning/viability of life." I thinkg that the bar has just been moved back to an undifferentiated embryo.

As it stands now, the maximum date for an abortion is directly proportional to the minimum amount of time that a fetus needs to develop lungs in order survive outside the womb on it's own. Now, if this artificial womb exists, there will be no real excuse, reason, set of rules or minimum time limit to terminate a pregnancy. The embryo, potentially, could survive outside the mother at any time after the conception.

The whole abortion debate could instantly become moot. Mothers will not have the choice of bearing unwanted children. Doctors can just remove the embryo and continue the pregnancy sans the mother.

The new debate will be about what to do with all of those embryos. "Potentially billions, just in our country alone."

The End...[IMG]http://www.minorannoyance.net/~spin/Smilies/contrib/aahmed/sad.gif[/IMG]

Great, now the state can enjoy parent's rights, which is what they always wanted.

Think about it THIS way for a second:  perhaps this could signal an end to the abortion problem.  Woman doesn't want to carry a baby to term?  Fine...find an adoptive family then have the fetus transferred to an artificial womb.  

Or if a woman's life is in danger and she can't continue the pregnancy, transfer the fetus to the artificial womb.

I don't see this as weird or dangerous at all.
And frankly, I am NOT worried that men will somehow "do away" with women.  If anything, the reverse would be a bigger fear.

good. now I have a place to grow that clone I've been cookin up

Rik and Sodie have hit it right on the head.  An artificial womb is something the feminists must object to, because it eliminates the need for abortion.  Don't want the kid?  Have the embryo removed and put in an artifical womb for adoption-upon-"decanting".  We're told there is a great demand for newborns for adoption.  (However, I think widespread use of this technology would immediately swamp that demand with an overabundance of supply.)

Of course, invention of a functional artificial womb raises other very troubling problems - among them, effective mass-produced clones.  

Everybody know what the next Star Wars movie is about?  "Clone Wars" - where the Imperial government cranks out millions of identical Stormtroopers loyal only to the Emperor.  Far-fetched Sci-Fi, but then so is the artificial womb.  

Why limit the growth in the "pod" to only 9-months?  Why not figure out a way to keep the fetus growing in vitro for several years, (a la "The Matrix")?  

Then figure out a way to begin "sensitivity and tolerance-training" the infant for a few years in this "womb/school" until it is ridded of any "hate-thoughts" and ONLY then it can be "allowed" to be born into the world - preprogrammed for life as a tolerant, anti-gun, pro-collectivist, open-minded liberal.  

If it resists this or is especially stubborn in accepting its training - then it's clearly not in the best interest and safety of society to allow it to be born.