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NEWS > SCIENCE > ARGENTINIAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOP HUMAN-COW HYBRID
ARGENTINIAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOP HUMAN-COW HYBRID
June 10 2011
San Martin, Argentina – Advances in science have always brought about great fears from the public at large. Whether it was the invention of the printing press or the discovery that the Earth revolved around the Sun, there has always been a violent 
reaction when new advances come along. Part of that reaction is no doubt due to people being resistant to change and part of it is due to a genuine fear of what the future may bring. Fear though rarely prevents such changes from happening.
In the modern era those fears are even more potent with science delving into areas that make us what we are, literally. The exploration of the human genome has brought dire warnings and valid ethical concerns about the direction and power of science, and now a new advance in Argentina may have validated many of those concerns. Scientists at Nation University of San Martin have developed the first successful human-cow hybrid, an animal called Rosita ISA. The animal, which is twice the size of a normal cow, is capable of producing human-like milk and perform other tasks previously the exclusive domain of human beings. Thus far, Rosita is primarily a cow, but researchers believe that as it grows and develops, with the right training, it is possible that the animal will be able to display more human-like characteristics including problem solving and basic reading skills.
“The cloned cow, named Rosita ISA, is the first bovine born in the world that incorporates human genes that contain the proteins present in human milk. The cow will produce milk that is similar to human,” said lead researcher said researcher Adrian Mutto. “Our goal was to raise the nutritional value of cows' milk by adding two human
genes, the protein lactoferrin, which provides infants with anti-bacterial and anti-viral protection, and lysozyme, which is also an anti-bacterial agent.”
More complex tasks such as writing and using tools will likely prove impossible because the animal still has hooves instead of fingers. It’s believed unlikely that further physical mutation will develop.
“Inevitably we are going to be seeing more and more of these animal hybrids. Ostensibly they are a good idea, they can blend the benefits of other species and make the target animal stronger, but of course in the wrong hands things could go very badly. It wouldn’t take much for some mad scientist to get a hold of this technology and blend say sharks with bears and unleash them on the world. That hasn’t happened yet but it very well could,” said Scrape TV Science analyst Dr. Howard Poe. “I sincerely doubt that we will be seeing fusions of cows and humans on an everyday basis. I think it’s unlikely that even in the extreme end these kinds of creatures will become commonplace, the types of things we sit beside at work or who our daughter goes to prom with, but we should start contemplating the ethics of such an eventuality just in case it happens.”
Thus far, Rosita ISA is the only member of its species.
“The last thing we need is for these animals to become a part of a subspecies. I mean they will be part of a subspecies, but they shouldn’t be treated that way. Those types of scenarios are the real nightmare scenarios. One can just imagine human-cows being herded into cattle cars. We’ve played that game before,” continued Poe. “Science will move forward whether we like it or not and these are things we are going to have to deal with. We can’t simply cover our eyes and hope it goes away because it never does. This is just something we are going to have to deal with.”
Activists in Argentina have already begun petitioning to government for a new equal rights amendment to include the new hybrids.
Anna Phillips, Science Correspondent
NEWS > SCIENCE > ARGENTINIAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOP HUMAN-COW HYBRID
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