The world wasstunned in February with the announcement that an adult mammal hadproduced an offspring without an egg being fertilized by a sperm. The“Dolly” story ignited a global media storm, in large part becauseof its chilling implication that human cloning was possible. There wasdeep disagreement, however, over the ethics of cloning humans. Opponentscalled for a ban on human cloning research, arguing that cloning offersfew benefits to science while requiring unacceptable risks and underminingour very concept of humanness. But many scientists argued that cloningresearch could open the door to better understanding of how cells workand thus help battle cancer and other diseases. Others said its benefitscould range from duplicating embryos for in vitro fertilization toreplacing a dying child.

David Masci specializes in social policy, religion and foreign affairs. Before joining CQ Researcher as a staff writer in 1996, he was a reporter at CQ's Daily Monitor and CQ Weekly. He holds a BA in medieval history from Syracuse University and a law degree from The George Washington University.