[extropy-chat] 22nd century

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:

> At 10:36 AM 10/13/2004 -0700, Mike wrote:
> 
> >--- Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> > > the point Trend and I were making is that it's
> > > extremely unlikely that this emotional attachment carries over to
> > > a clump of a hundred or so cells on a petri dish.
> 
> Note again:
> Trend and I are talking about a tiny clump of undifferentiated cells.
> 
> >The `miscarried
> > > fetuses' Mike mentions were surely not salvaged somehow within a
> > > week of conception and tearfully laid to rest with full ceremony?
> >
> >Or they could be people who have been trying to conceive naturally
> for
> >a very long time and finally one takes but fails.
> 
> How would they *know*?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy
"The blastocyst also secretes a hormone called human chorionic
gonadotropin which in turn, stimulates the corpus luteum in the
mother's ovary to continue producing progesterone, which acts to
maintain the lining of the uterus so that the embryo will continue to
be nourished. The glands in the lining of the uterus will swell in
response to the blastocyst, and capillaries will be stimulated to grow
in that region. This allows the blastocyst to receive vital nutrients
from the mother.

Pregnancy tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin."

> 
> Watch the bouncing ball:
> 
> *a clump of a hundred or so cells on a petri dish*
> 
> ...or in a uterus, for that matter, or on its way there: 
> http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_emer2.htm
> 
> < Pregnancy typically begins about 12 days after conception, after
> the blastocyst has fully implanted itself in the lining of the womb.
> Abortions are defined as medical interventions after pregnancy
> begins.
> Since the emergency contraception pills are taken within 3 days of 
> intercourse or an IUD is inserted within 5 days, no pregnancy has had
> a chance to start. Thus, emergency contraception is not a form of
> abortion. >

Sounds like self-serving spin to me. Try this on for size:

http://www.swmedicalcenter.com/16197.cfm

"Pregnancy begins with conception"

http://sheknows.com/about/look/22.htm

"Pregnancy begins with sex."

Wikipedia also says:
"Pre-implantation

At this point, there exists a single totipotent cell with the potential
to create an entire human being. Mitotic cell division is the next
process to occur, where each cell doubles to produce another diploid
cell. The zygote divides to produce two smaller cells, called
blastomeres, roughly every 20 hours. These cells get progressively
smaller until about 4 divisions have taken place resulting in 16
individual cells. This cluster of 16 cells, called a morula, leaves the
fallopian tube and makes its way to the uterus."

This says 80 hours or a little over 3 days. The blastocele implants
24-48 hours later (i.e. 4-5 days following conception), whereupon it
becomes a blastocyst AFTER implantation.

Ergo, it becomes a blastocyst after it is implanted, after 5 days, and
it emits chemicals which are detectable by simple pregnancy tests. That
is how "they know".... at the longest term, the sperm takes two days to
get itself to its destination, so it would be 7 days at the outside,
not 12.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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