Hacker Cinema
Next Door
Naboer
2005 · Film · 75 min
Directed by Pål Sletaune
After Ingrid leaves John, he allows himself to be pulled into a mystical and scary world where it is impossible to separate truth from lies.
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Michael Crichton explored the chimera idea extensively in the novel "Next". However he was more interested in "manimals" and how society would react to them. The novel also touches upon the idea of patents and ownership of biological organisms including human-like hybrids. The TV series "Orphan Black" also touches upon patents.
Unlike these fictional explorations, however, the NPR story focuses on pig embryos which have been modified to grow human organs such as the pancreas. These creatures, if allowed to develop, would still be pigs, just with a very unusual pancreas.
The eventual solution to growing in vivo organs is to create a human embryo that has just enough of a nervous system to stay alive, but no higher brain function.
Ultimately, all children will donate a few cells in the embryonic stage to this purpose. As you grow up, your brainless clone will also grow and provide a backup set of organs, nerves, etc. that are 100% chromosomally compatible. Perhaps the aging process in a clone can also be slowed down -- cool the body to slow metabolism -- and then we'll be able to transplant younger parts, younger skin, etc.
Bioethicists will debate this for decades, but it's going to happen; the benefits are too great. Of course, eventually we may have in-system cures for many of the problems that today require organ transplants, so perhaps a clone will become unnecessary.