So after reading this:
Spoiler: Click to 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
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre90n057-us-usa-neanderthal-cloning/
I'm reminded of how people think scientists actually want to do stuff like this, or how they respond to every confirmation of an intuitive idea with "Well, duh, thanks for spending our money to answer that, Captain Obvious". I think the most disturbing was the suggestion that people like the Sandy Hook shooter should be "given to the scientists", as if scientists are like some James-Bond-Villain-style pet that a person can be thrown to for a grisly death.
How did the gap between what scientists are and what the public thinks they are get so wide? I'm really curious about what these people's reactions would be if they ever actually went to a thesis defense at their local college, or attended a conference, and saw what science is for themselves.