Clonaids

Clonaids was a company that claimed to be the first to achieve human cloning. Founded in 1997, it was part of a larger organization known as the Raelians, a UFO religion. Clonaids announced in December 2002 that a baby girl named Eve had been born through cloning, sparking widespread debate and skepticism.

The company maintained that the cloning process involved somatic cell nuclear transfer, a technique used in animal cloning. However, Clonaids never provided independent scientific verification of their claims, leading most scientists and ethicists to doubt the authenticity of the reported birth. No peer-reviewed scientific papers or verifiable genetic evidence were ever presented by Clonaids to support their assertion of a successful human clone.

The announcement generated significant media attention and controversy, highlighting ethical concerns surrounding human cloning, including potential risks to the clone, questions of identity and individuality, and religious objections. In response to the lack of credible evidence, many governments and scientific bodies reiterated their opposition to human reproductive cloning.

Despite repeated requests for proof, Clonaids never offered the necessary data to substantiate their claims. The scientific community generally regards the Clonaids episode as an unsubstantiated publicity stunt rather than a genuine scientific breakthrough. The company's activities faded from public view after the initial controversy, and their claims remain unproven.