- Researchers have succeeded in creating synthetic embryos for the first time, without stopping to first answer the question of if they should be created at all
- The embryos exist without the need for egg, sperm or sexual reproduction of any kind
- They were engineered from stem cells and, while they do not have a beating heart, gut or beginnings of a brain, they have primordial cells that are the precursors to egg and sperm
- Researchers are only legally allowed to grow human embryos up to 14 days, but synthetic human embryos aren’t subject to the 14-day rule
- While the implications for research are exciting, there are significant ethical implications, since the synthetic embryos could, theoretically, grow into a human
[Editor’s Note: The short answer is, “NO!” These fake embryos should not be used for research or anything else. They should not exist. Unfortunately, they DO exist now which is why we are publishing this article. Dr. Joseph Mercola dives into the details and conflicts to help us gain an understanding so we can better oppose this. And while I don’t agree with everything Dr. Mercola writes — just as I know not everyone will agree with what I write — it’s important nonetheless to have this conversation now before it’s too late to address it.]
Researchers have succeeded in creating synthetic embryos for the first time, without stopping to first answer the question of if they should be created at all. The embryos exist without the need for egg, sperm or sexual reproduction of any kind. They were engineered from stem cells and provide a window into the earliest days of human development.1
The scientists behind the synthetic embryos, including Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz, of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology, hope to study this so-called “black box” development period, as researchers are only legally allowed to grow human embryos up to 14 days.2
“We can create human embryo-like models by the reprogramming of [embryonic stem] cells,” Żernicka-Goetz said at the 2023 International Society for Stem Cell Research meeting in Boston.3 Further, the synthetic human embryos aren’t subject to the 14-day rule.4
Synthetic Human Embryos Form Distinct Cell Lines
The embryos were grown to the gastrulation stage of development, when distinct cell lines develop. While the embryos do not have a beating heart, gut or beginnings of a brain, they have primordial cells that are the precursors to egg and sperm. Żernicka-Goetz told The Guardian:5
“Our human model is the first three-lineage human embryo model that specifies amnion and germ cells, precursor cells of egg and sperm. It’s beautiful and created entirely from embryonic stem cells.”
The preprint study, which hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet, was published in bioRxiv,6 alongside a similar study by stem-cell biologist Jacob Hanna and colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.7 Both studies have received some criticism that the synthetic embryos aren’t as advanced as they initially appear. Nature reported:8
“Alfonso Martinez Arias, a developmental biologist at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, says there is ‘nothing’ in the results described by Zernicka-Goetz and her colleagues that can be considered analogous to real 14-day embryos.
‘What we can see is masses of cells separated into compartments, but no embryo-like organization,’ he says. He thinks that the over-expression of some genes needed to produce the extra-embryonic cell types ‘confuses what cells do,’ and argues that the results do not show anything that goes beyond earlier work.”
However, others have praised the work. Hanna’s team, which also produced a synthetic embryo-like structure from human stem cells, also stopped their experiment at the 14-day cutoff for human embryos, but Żernicka-Goetz and others have argued that allowing the synthetic embryos to develop longer would be useful to science.9
Speaking with Science, developmental biologist Jesse Veenvliet of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics said of the synthetic embryo developed by Hanna’s team, “The similarity to the natural embryo is remarkable, almost uncanny.”10
Prior to the synthetic human embryo, researchers created synthetic mouse embryos.11 This was less than a year ago, showing how rapidly the field is moving. While the implications for research are exciting, there are significant ethical implications, since the synthetic embryos could, at least theoretically, grow into a human. Robin Lovell-Badge, told The Guardian:12
“The idea is that if you really model normal human embryonic development using stem cells, you can gain an awful lot of information about how we begin development, what can go wrong, without having to use early embryos for research.”
Legal and Ethical Implications Are Significant
While it’s currently against the law to attempt to implant a synthetic embryo into a human womb, the science is rapidly outpacing related regulations. “If the whole intention is that these models are very much like normal embryos, then in a way they should be treated the same,” Lovell-Badge told The Guardian. “Currently in legislation they’re not. People are worried about this.”13
In animal studies, synthetic embryos implanted into mice wombs did not survive. Similarly, when synthetic monkey embryos were implanted into monkey wombs, pregnancies were induced, although the embryos spontaneously stopped developing after a few days.14
However, if the synthetic embryos could one day grow into humans, we’d be entering into uncharted legal and ethical territory. Ethicist J. Benjamin Hurlbut of Arizona State University told Science that synthetic embryos represent “a matter of significant moral discussion and of significant moral concern.”15
Are We Headed for Mechanical Wombs?
Scientists are already working on how to grow life outside of a human womb and, in 2021, Hanna and colleagues grew a mouse embryo in a mechanical womb for about half of a typical gestational term — a time period equal to a human embryo at 5 weeks.16
Growing mouse embryos “ex utero,” the researchers said, is a valuable tool to investigate embryonic development in detail,17 but it comes with serious ethical questions, including might humans be next?18
The answer is yes, as Hanna told MIT Technology Review, “This sets the stage for other species. I hope that it will allow scientists to grow human embryos until week five.”19 Are we headed for an “era of motherless births,”20 in which babies are gown in laboratories via artificial wombs? It does seem to be where the research is rapidly headed.
The term ectogenesis, which describes gestation that occurs outside a human body, from conception to birth, was coined in 1924 by scientist J.B.S. Haldane.21 But it’s only now, nearly a century later, that technology is nearing the point of making this a reality. Haldane predicted ectogenesis would make up more than 70% of human births by 2074.22
First, however, will likely be partial ectogenesis, a field being rapidly pursued as a means to extend viability of extremely premature babies. Not only has artificial amniotic fluid been developed, but the layer of cells in the uterus that nourishes the pregnancy, known as the endometrium, is also being developed as a cell culture.
This paves the way for partial ectogenesis and then full-fledged ectogenesis in the not-so-distant future. According to the Genetic Literacy Project:23
“The convergence of these technologies will make it possible to transfer a developing human into a system that includes the placenta and umbilical cord and supplies all consumables (oxygen and food), and removes all waste, directly through the blood. Thus, survival and continuing development would not depend on the lungs and other organs being ready yet to do their job.
Applying such a system to fetus delivered in the middle of pregnancy would constitute real partial ectogenesis. Furthermore, since bypassing the developing, not fully functional organs, stands to improve survival substantially, and might even decrease the costs of extreme premature birth, the movement of the technology from research to clinic is inevitable.
Once that happens, there will be no obstacle against pushing the limit further, toward full ectogenesis. But there will be no obstacle to pushing the limit akin to how lung viability has placed an obstacle to conventional pre-term care. At some point, an in vitro fertilized egg could be planted directly into the artificial womb, with no need for a natural uterus even for the early stages.”
Scientists Develop Robot ‘Skin’ Made From Human Cells
As robots continue to rollout into society, scientists are looking for ways to make them more human. This, they say, will promote their acceptance and further interactions with actual humans. Writing in the journal Matter, researchers explained:24
“Humanoids are robots created with human forms or characteristics; these robots also have the potential to seamlessly interact with human beings. By replicating the appearances and functions (e.g., self-healing) of human beings, humanoids have the potential to establish more harmonic and natural human-robot interactions.”
To facilitate this, the team, from the University of Tokyo, Japan, created living skin for robots, made with human cells. They submerged a three-joint robotic finger into a solution of collagen and human dermal fibroblasts, which conformed to the finger, forming a primer for the next layer of cells, human epidermal keratinocytes. Together, the layers formed a skin-like surface that can even self-heal if wounded.
While the researchers were pleased with the outcome, stating, “We are surprised by how well the skin tissue conforms to the robot’s surface,” they explained, “This work is just the first step toward creating robots covered with living skin.”25 Next, they intend to add sensory neurons, hair follicles, nails and sweat glands to make the robots appear just like humans.
“I think living skin is the ultimate solution to give robots the look and touch of living creatures since it is exactly the same material that covers animal bodies,” study author Shoji Takeuchi said in a news release.26
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
Will People Be Turned Into Cyborgs?
As robots continue to look increasingly real, scientists are also working on making people more robotic. A May 2021 project report by the U.K. Ministry of Defense, created in partnership with the German Bundeswehr Office for Defense Planning, is titled “Human Augmentation — The Dawn of a New Paradigm, a Strategic Implications Project.”27
As noted in the report, “Human augmentation has the potential to … change the meaning of what it means to be a human.” Merging humans with machines is precisely what Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has stated is the goal of The Fourth Industrial Revolution.28
Schwab dreams of a world in which humans are connected to the cloud, able to access the internet through their own brains. This, of course, also means that your brain would be accessible to people who might like to tinker with your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and behavior. The report further explains:29
“Human augmentation will become increasingly relevant, partly because it can directly enhance human capability and behavior and partly because it is the binding agent between people and machines.
Future wars will be won, not by those with the most advanced technology, but by those who can most effectively integrate the unique capabilities of both people and machines. The importance of human-machine teaming is widely acknowledged but it has been viewed from a techno-centric perspective.
Human augmentation is the missing part of this puzzle. Thinking of the person as a platform and understanding our people at an individual level is fundamental to successful human augmentation.”
In May 2023, Elon Musk’s brain-chip company, Neuralink, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a human clinical trial — the first of its kind. The company plans to implant a brain chip into a tetraplegic or paraplegic patient in 2023.30
It’s likely that one day transhumanism will involve the use of technologies that are physically embedded in the human body or brain to offer superhuman cognition or forms of mind control. Gene-edited babies have also been developed. In 2018, He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist, modified the DNA of human embryos during in vitro fertilization by disabling a gene called CCR5, which could potentially make the babies resistant to infection with HIV.31
The babies, twin girls known as Lulu and Nana, were born in 2018,32 and a third baby with an edited CCR5 gene was born in 2019.33 He’s team received major backlash from the highly controversial move, as while the technology to genetically edit human babies has existed for some time, ethical considerations had stopped researchers from tinkering with the human germline.
He went to jail for three years as a result of the “illegal medical practice,”34 but the momentum to create lab-grown designer babies continues. A February 1, 2022, article in Futurism, for instance, announced that Chinese scientists developed an artificial intelligence nanny robot to care for fetuses grown inside an artificial womb.35
As transhumanism gets underway in earnest, there’s little doubt that growing synthetic human embryos is only the beginning — and ethical considerations about growing babies in laboratories will be largely ignored in favor of advancing technology.
Sound off about this on the End Medical Tyranny Substack.
- 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 14 The Guardian June 14, 2023
- 4, 8 Nature June 16, 2023
- 6 bioRxiv June 15, 2023, doi: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545082
- 7 bioRxiv June 15, 2023, doi: 10.1101/2023.06.14.544922
- 9, 10, 15 Science June 17, 2023
- 11 Cell August 1, 2022
- 16, 18 Popular Mechanics March 18, 2021
- 17 Nature March 17, 2021
- 19 MIT Technology Review March 17, 2021
- 20, 21, 22, 23 Genetic Literacy Project April 22, 2022
- 24 Matter June 9, 2022
- 25, 26 EurekAlert! June 9, 2022
- 27, 29 Human Augmentation — The Dawn of a New Paradigm, A Strategic Implications Project May 2021
- 28 WEF The Fourth Industrial Revolution
- 30 Reuters June 16, 2023
- 31 Vox November 30, 2018
- 32 BBC News June 3, 2019
- 33 CNBC May 21, 2019
- 34 DW April 20, 2023
- 35 Futurism February 1, 2022
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
