Frankenstein's Argument Against Head And Brain Transplants

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Friday, 6 April, 2001, 10:59 GMT 11:59 UK Frankenstein fears after head transplant A controversial operation to transplant the whole head of a monkey onto a different body has proved a partial success. The scientist behind it wants to do the same thing to humans, but other members of the scientific community have condemned the experiments as "grotesque". Professor Robert White, from Cleveland Ohio, transplanted a whole monkey's head onto another monkey's body, and the animal survived for some time after the operation. The professor told the BBC's Today programme how he believes the operation is the next step in the transplant world. And he raised the possibility that it could be used to treat people paralysed and unable to use their limbs, and whose bodies,…show more content…
"At each stage - kidney, heart, liver and so forth - ethical considerations have been considered, especially with the heart, which was a major, major problem for many people and scientists. "And the brain, because of its uniqueness poses a major, major ethical issue as far as the public and even the profession is concerned." 'Scientifically misleading' The arguments against head and brain transplants were outlined by Dr Stephen Rose, director of brain and behavioural research at the Open University. He said: "This is medical technology run completely mad and out of all proportion to what's needed. "It's entirely misleading to suggest that a head transplant or a brain transplant is actually really still connected in anything except in terms of blood stream to the body to which it has been transplanted. "It's not controlling or relating to that body in any other sort of way." He added: "It's scientifically misleading, technically irrelevant and scientifically irrelevant, and apart from anything else a grotesque breach of any ethical

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