Study Concludes That We Need a “Strict Ban on Human Cloning for Any Purposes”

The conclusion of the study is that the failure rate is still high. I can't read the paper, but if that failure rate is too high for use in humans is an opinion, not a scientific fact.

I'm a little cautious and I prefer to avoid experiments with human cloning until the technique is more reliable. But this is only a taboo, not a scientific fact. It's like avoiding to use the carcass of your recently dead neighbor as a bow target. (This may be even be illegal where you live.)

It is unclear why a "strict ban on human cloning" is needed. The article quotes researcher Lewin: "“We now understand why clones fail, which can lead to improvements in the process of cloning of animals. Our discoveries also reinforce the need for a strict ban on human cloning for any purposes.”

A quick read of the article itself suggests the it does no consider human cloning and does not provide support for the conclusion that a "strict ban on human cloning" is needed.

But the reasoning behind the "need" is never explained. I suspect that the need for a strict ban comes from the bioethics folks and is not a real need.

To paraphrase a line from Aeon Flux, human cloning is trading in excess. At least given the state of humanity at present.