Cloning Claim Stirs Skepticism, Ethical Debate

By Joe Palca,

Published December 28, 2002 at 12:00 AM EST

A company with ties to a religious group called the Raelians says it has successfully cloned a human being -- and has more babies on the way. There's no immediate proof of Clonaid's claims, but an independent effort will attempt to verify the claim. The mainstream scientific community is skeptical. Hear from NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Joe Palca.

Joe Palca

Joe Palca is a science correspondent for NPR. Since joining NPR in 1992, Palca has covered a range of science topics — everything from biomedical research to astronomy. He is currently focused on the eponymous series, "Joe's Big Idea." Stories in the series explore the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors. Palca is also the founder of NPR Scicommers – A science communication collective.

See stories by Joe Palca

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.

See stories by Scott Simon