Speaking of the Technology Review

Speaking of the Technology Review, it's just loaded with great stuff this month. Here's an article that argues that human cloning, like all other advances in reproductive technology, is inevitable. I have to say that I think author Daniel Kevles has a touching faith in the legal system when he says

Once reproductive cloning is made physically safe for the fetus, its enthusiasts may find an ally in U.S. law. The U.S. Congress, of course, could decide to ban human cloning for any purpose, claiming the power to do so because it can regulate interstate commerce, and a cloning clinic would be open to women from anywhere in the country. But such a law could well run afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade, which, by upholding the right of a woman to choose an abortion, arguably implies that the state cannot interfere with how she chooses to reproduce.

Personally, I'd be more concerned that with a couple of Bush-picked Scalia-type judicial activists, the Court is more likely to use an anti-cloning law to overturn Roe v. Wade than it is to use Roe v. Wade to overturn an anti-cloning law.

This Simson Garfinkel column argues that defending national borders could be a model for fighting spam. The monthly Trailing Edge feature gives an overview of the electric guitar. Wanna guess when it was invented? Try 1923.

Finally, for the second time, the magazine lists 100 innovators whose work will change the world. As in 1999, all 100 are under 35. As one who can only see 35 in the rear-view mirror, it's a moderately uncomfortable reminder of an old Tom Lehrer quote: "It's a sobering thought to realize that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years."

Posted by Charles Kuffner on May 20, 2002 to Technology, science, and math