On Saturday, the Kansas House shot down a bill outlawing Human-Animal hybrids. This is significant in that now, should scientists want to try to create a real life mermaid (or merman), it's not explicitly illegal in Kansas. The vote was 63-52 against the proposal from Rep. Mary Pilcher Cook (R-Shawnee) that would have made it a felony to create a hybrid embryo or 'nonhuman life form' with human brain tissue.
Concerns about such hybrids, or "chimeras," are part of a larger debate over human cloning and medical research with embryonic stem cells. Pilcher Cook offered her ban as a substitute for a bill creating a new legislative committee on biosciences.Bring on the science.