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Playing God with Nature

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Word this week is that three little piggies in American labs have been cloned and genetically engineered to produce Omega-3 fatty acids. That is, pigs genetically engineered to become squealing little factories of heart-healthy bacon.

Omega-3 is the stuff that makes fish and walnuts so good for your heart. Some people don't like fish and walnuts. So, is there any reason not to make the pigs make it?

We've been eating genetically modified plant crops for years. Next comes the animal kingdom. And maybe that's great. But it has us wondering: Is there a limit to what we can and should to nature?

Hear biologist E.O. Wilson and more on how far we can meddle with nature.

Guests:

EO Wilson, Professor of Biology Emeritus at Harvard University and editor of "From So Simple a Beginning: The Four Great Books of Charles Darwin" and author of "The Future of Life."

Autumn Fiester, Senior Fellow at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Dr. Michael Fernandez, Executive Director of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology

Ivan Oransky, Deputy Editor The Scientist magazine,

This program aired on March 31, 2006.

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