Some MSU students and faculty aren't fully convinced a group claiming responsibility for the birth of the first human clone is telling the truth.
And they are not alone.
On Saturday, a Florida attorney subpoenaed a vice president of the cloning organization, Clonaid, to testify in court. The vice president may be asked to reveal the location of the mother and her daughter, an alleged clone.
Clonaid refused to allow scientists to test the baby, called "Eve," for validity. Clonaid, an organization founded by a group that believes human life was created by extraterrestrials, claimed the first human clone was born on Dec. 26.
"It's going to force the issue," biochemistry junior David Taggart said.
Taggart said he was skeptical the group had a clone.
"I really don't think they do," he said. "But if they do, then the proof will come out."
Taggert, who works with DNA in an MSU laboratory, said human cloning is risky.
"Technology isn't really up to the point where we can safely clone a human being," he said. "And other than being famous and being the first to do it, I can't see any practical reason."
But Taggart said regardless of what people think is or isn't ethical, the only thing that matters is proof.
"You can talk about the morals of human cloning all you want, but unless you can do it, it's a moot point," he said.
Judith Andre, a professor in the Department of Philosophy and the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences, said she doesn't believe there is a successful human clone in the world right now.
"It's all just claimed," she said. "From everything I've heard, it's pretty unlikely."
Andre said she's more concerned about the public perception of human cloning.
"It's important for people to understand what cloning really is," she said. "I even heard people ask me questions like, 'Would this really be a baby? Would it really be born of a woman?'
"Well, yeah."
Andre said twins would be genetically closer to each other than human clones.
"You're not going to replace a lost baby. You're not going to get an assembly line of Hitlers," she said.
"It's not quite as freakish as people think."
Even though Andre disbelieves Clonaid's claim, she said it's not even right to attempt cloning.
"To do it at this point, when the success rate in animals is very low, it's extremely irresponsible to do it in a human being," she said.
Andre required her students to read newspaper articles on both sides of the human cloning debate.
Nicole Richardson, a student in Andre's class during the fall semester, said she believes the cloned baby exists.
"There's no doubt in my mind that happened," the psychology senior said.
Although Richardson said she believes Clonaid has created the first human clone, she opposes human cloning.
"There are other ways to have children," she said.
Biochemistry and molecular biology Professor Zachary Burton said he recognizes there are positive factors to cloning, such as helping an infertile couple have a child.
"I don't find anything morally reprehensible about cloning humans," he said.
"If it's safe and effective, I guess it's OK."
However, he said he isn't entirely for it.
"There seem to be enough humans already," he said. "Perhaps there's no need for human cloning."
