Why is cloning such hot science?  What are the potential benefits?  And are there other ways of achieving them?  What are stem cells, and why do many scientists say that embryonic cells are required for this work?

A BBC/OU/Vega video.

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You can`t open a newspaper these days without reading the word "Cloning". Literally it just means genetic copying, but it conjours up Frankensteinien images - "Boys from Brazil", armies of identical psychopaths, playing God with the miracle of reproduction, and we`re told that cloning whole animals is difficult and dangerous. But is this really the truth of the matter?

Chaired by Colin Blakemore, the panel consists of Dr Robin Lovell-Badge (MRC), Dr Michael Antoniou (King`s College), and Dr Michael West (Advanced Cell Technology).