Cloning Classics

When it comes to dealing with cloning, ethicists and science-fiction writers have almost indistinguishable job descriptions. Both groups propose hypothetical situations in which cloning might happen, then examine the likely implications. The only real difference is that ethicists respect the laws of plausibility and don't waste much time on scenarios that probably won't ever come to pass. Science-fiction writers trash those same laws with creative gusto.

The result has been a relentless stream of outrageous books, movies and television shows, beginning with Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, published 61 years ago, and continuing through the summer's box-office behemoth, Jurassic Park. There...

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