Another question from the what if files...
This one has to do with cloning. What if scientists were able to clone a human being? Would we want to?
Sure, there are people out there who will try anything just to see if it's possible. From that perspective, cloning is an interesting problem. But I want to take this out of the technical to ponder a couple things.
Let's say that we could clone anyone. We could go back through history and clone the greatest minds that ever lived. (Just for argument's sake, say we could get our hands on the DNA of any of these figures.)
Would we want to? Would it be worth the trouble?
Would creating a person with the same DNA as a figure from history really replicate that person? We can't clone a soul. Their lives would be different. Even if we could implant memories from the original person's life, would it be the same person?
I first got this idea when working on a short story that went nowhere. I may find a place for it yet. Or perhaps I've been spending too much time in my head this week. What do you think?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
3 comments:
I appreciate your comments.
I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.
*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.
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I agree that you can't clone a soul. I would be worried about the treatment of human clones by society.
ReplyDeleteWhen you've been spending time inside your head, then I know it's going to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good question about clones. Are they copies of their DNA sources? Are they given unique souls? Would they be different just because they lived different lives?
I just want to sit back and let these questions run through my head.
I think that cloning is real science. I think that this "soul" you speak of sounds like sorcery and magic. Prove to me that a soul exists. Prove to me that there is a god. Prove to me that there is heaven.
ReplyDeleteYour question takes real life science and asks "Okay we have this science fact here but let's dismiss that and ask you if we can replicate a thing that is entirely fictional?"
No.