Your thoughts on cloning. Let your mind wander.
 

Disregard the current laws in place.

So, here I'm thinking... when your great great grandkids are concieved, they could be cloned by the evil doctor. The doctor then grows the clone in his lab while the real baby grows inside it's mother. Upon birth, the babies are swapped. The fun begins...

I dont really know where I am going with this.. but Hollywood hasn't run the cloning genre into the ground yet...

Would you like a clone that you could borrow body parts from whenever you got sick?

"Sorry Bobby2, Bobby needs a new kidney."

Out of respect for humanity I will not be cloning myself anytime soon.

I find the whole thing creepy and rather pointless. There has to be a better direction to take modern science then just copying what we already have. Make sense?

Yes. The whole bit is fine with me.
It will be all interchangeable body parts, scads of supermodel and celebrity clones, worker drones, totally exactly like it is now. It will be all messed up - just like now. But everyone will act and talk like its all different and make a big deal out of it because that's what people do. In the end, as always, it won't make any difference.

I think cloning can benefit humanity a lot with the proper constraints. It ain't right how Bush is against it because of his religious qualms or whatever. He supports war and bombs the shit out of weaker countries for oil but he won't allow further study in a field of medicine that can potentially save a countless number of lives?

Is it ok to use an identical twin for spare parts?

I'm all for it. Sure, it's got the potential to get messed up pretty badly, but think of it this way - people are going to do it no matter what the laws are, so we may as well reap the benefits of it. If they could grow the clones without brains then there'd be nothing wrong with nabbing the odd spare part.

as long as I'm not the parts bin.....

The cloning I have in mind is growing of separate organs and body parts, without a conscience. Its always nice to have some spare parts around when you need them. I am all for this kind of cloning.

The other kind of cloning that comes to mind is the "typical" kind... you know, exact duplicate of the host type of deal. I can see many powerful uses for this. For example, if someone very important (ie: a member of the cabinet) dies or is assassinated, he/she can be quickly replaced, as long as a clone can be quickly generated (like in The 6th Day) to keep the nation running.

A clone army could be raised, like those little Jango Fetts in Episode 2. (Uh oh.. I sense a tangent approaching) Does it bother anyone that the "good guys" in that movie used real live breathing people (clone Jangos) in their army, against the non-living droids of the bad guys? Shouldn't it be the good guys sending the droids in, to protect human life? (ok back to our regularly scheduled post..) I personally feel that clones are entitled to the same rights as the thing cloned, so this would be insane. But on the other hand, our boys would always come back home safe, even if they got killed in action...

Decisions decisions...

Cloning for parts? Hell yeah!... sorta :) See, it would be cool because of stem cell stuff. and DNA fixes and stuff. We wouldn't need the "let nature get rid of the dumbasses" as we could just fix the physical problems of people. Then we would be able to focus on the minds of people and not the bodies (yeah art, i know i know... as MUCH.. they still would....)

As for parts? well if you lose an arm or something, sure.. but to prolong life? I'm not sure I agree with that. Why? Overpopulation, thats why. If no one is dying and people are still being born.. then the death::Birth ratio gets skewed. NOT a good thing. How would you like being 14 years old, and learning that you've had a vesectomy at birth and can never have kids simply because of all the cloning going on, they can't afford it? I'd hate my life.

Cloning for extra people? No! They will have a mind like us, thus they are no different than us. We don't differentiate Test Tube Babies, so why cloned babies? Extra people would only be needed if we ourselves became an endangered species. So then you might say "what about extinct species?" Again to you, I say No! Why? I mean they did once exist in our society, so why not bring them back? Because life has evolved to them no longer being part of it, thus bringing them back could potentially seriously fuck things up.

Again, what if we could even (somehow) clone the mind/personality of a person? (I doubt this.. as you cannot dupe one's soul) This wouldn't really be good. First off, it brings that over population thing back in, as you won't ever really, DIE. On top of this what if you ended up NOT dying? Then there would be TWO of you with the EXACT same minds. That aint gonna be good. There was an episode of this on The Outer Limits. A guy cloned his wife and downloaded her mind into it. She was in a coma, so he justified it as he couldn't bear losing her. So after it worked, he went to have the plug pulled on her, knowing that she would still be with him. When he got there, she wasn't there, but she wasn't dead either, she had just recently checked out! Not good, now there were two of them..... he wanted the REAL one, not the cloned one.. jealousy ensues.. it doesn't end very well.

So to cap it up. To use "clones" for stuff like stem cells and stuff to fix people's physical impediments is a good thing. But to clone to ensure longer life probably isn't as good as it sounds, not unless you think you could live the life as in Soylent Green.


Thoughts?

i think there are still a few good cloning storylines that haven't been juiced to death by hollywood (give them time, ppl!).

as for cloning for body parts? no. That's why I support stem cell research. You don't need a whole other body if all you need is a kidney or a lung or something...

GakFace,

I think people always create the same realities over and over again. It's not the tech that's evil or ugly or disturbed - it's us.
We are always living in a nightmare version of the past. If people from the past knew how we treated ourselves and others today, they would see it as bad as some of us see a cloning future today.

Everything that can be done eventually gets done. In general, nothing changes - because we don't change. We may change in small ways but we are the same Homo "Sapiens" who crawled out of a cave.

BermuDa has got it... anyone ever seen this pic before?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/194500...use_ear300.jpg

Now that is useful....

I think it could be fun. Remember that girl you had a crush on when you were in high school? Buy a clone of her.

Remember that bully? Buy a clone and beat the crap out of him.

Wanna date Salma Hayek, you guessed it, buy a clone.

Wanna really mess with tabloid reporters? Set up Ben Affleck and Matt Damon clones in a compromising position.

i want an aisland and a lab and someone who knows how to use it then i need the dna of all the topnoch women of the world oh what funn we could have

I honestly believe that we will see cloned athletes, raised for the sole purpose of entertainment. Imagine Mike Tyson vs Muhammad Ali, both at their physical prime. Imagine inserting Johnny Unitas into the current NFL... you get the idea.

I would soooooooooo totally clone my wife so I could have that 3 some I've always wanted!!!!!!

Everything else aside, I think it's utterly amazing that we've discovered how to actually do this. that alone is more impressive to me than actually doing it.

I think it will be a loooooong time, if ever, that people are cloned, for whatever reasons, in total likeness of their "real selves."

problem about that perfect race thingy... If we close people in their primes for specific reasons.. everyone else will never be given a chance to use that which they DNA has NATURALLY been "designed" for. Who knows people might now allow you to do things if they can look at your DNA at birth too. "oh he won't be a police man, his dna isn't cut out for it." Which would be sad that the top police man would just be 72 clones.. where as this guy.. who "isn't made for it" could top this guy if simply given a chance. Cloning is a thin line, we must be careful when we walk it, and make sure not to be carrying anything with a sharp edge.. or it could be the end.... or at least until you lose your grip.... :(

cloning could be useful but not by cloning an entire new person. I think that the theory is to use stem cells to regrow certain cells like liver cells or something like that to make a new organ and not a new person. I think that it would be weird to have a 'friend' that you harvest for organs. Useful, but strange. Where would you keep your 'friend'? You couldn't let him get out much, could you?

Yeah there was that one mad man who was big into Eugenics projects, something about creating the perfect race... what was his name??? Oh yeah thats right Adolf Hitler.

If you start cloning people you seriously fuck with the natural balance and will destroy the sacredness and value of life. What if said clone is defective and not up to par? What are you going to do destroy it?

On a side note I think I figured out the second coming of Jesus. He is going to be cloned from the shroud of Torin(sp). It makes sense!!!

this is quite exciting.
i would really love to have a clone of myself... and to watch it grow up... to be like me... but when it turns 23, it would probably get itself cloned, and then it would watch itself, me, grow up... wow... i´m loving this thought line. but would this mean that i would stagnate my life to consider the development of my clone, myself...

imagine seeing yourself, or what appears to be you, growing up... that would be fascinating... i mean, who needs a photo album full of childhood photos, when you can have yourself growing up, right there in front of you.

i´m wondering now if i´m getting remarkably narcissistic here??

I agree with cloning of organs for medical reasons. This is also a touchy subject because as we enlongate life we are realizing all the healthcare and social expenses that go along with it. We all need to realize that we will outlive our usefulness at some point.

Cloning whole people will probably happen but will not have the results people expect. The clone will have to grow-up which means it will be formed by different circumstances and environments than its donor did. This will mean that the clone will not be a physicla replica of the donor but will have its own personality.

Think about that.

Thats where all the controversy comes in. If it was the same person in everyway. Then justification for killing it wouldn't be so hard. Why? "How can I be convicted for killing myself 23 times?" You know, I mean when you die, you're dead.. Well people would then have more than one of themselves. How confusing would that end up being?

The other problem found is that the clone ages faster than normal. So unless you are cloning from stem cells or the unborn, whatever is cloned will age rapidly.

i say develop the technology but keep it on the backburner till we need it for something lik i don't know resuurecting a species that we need to live.

I agree with those who have said that it would be unethical to have a complete clone of yourself. I think they should concentrate progressing with the knowledge to help sick people without giving everyone a clone for spare body parts. People would just abuse their bodies more like smoking and drinking because they would say 'hey it doesnt matter if my liver and lungs pack up ill just have my clones' then how do you cope with a society with that sort of attitude?

After seeing all of the side affects that the clone's could possibly have I don't know that I'm all for it. I would hate to see a clone of myself be brought into this world and then suffer because of odd health issues.
I think once this science is perfected it will be interesting to see where it goes. But until then I just disagree with it.

There is too much of an outcry against cloning whole individuals for that to become widespread right now. I know it is being attempted but the failure rate right now is so high it is economically unrealistic for a company to try large scale.

Sir! We have created the first genetically perfect Human Being. He will be the ultimate Soldier, there just one problem.
"Yes General? What is it?"
He wishes to be a gardner.


See thats the fun part.. heh

That's the other direction I did not want to mention. Most of our major technological breakthroughs are made for military purposes. Why would this be any different?

What would keep the world from plunging into a constant state of war when no "real lives" would be lost on the battle field?

well yeah, BUT.. as much as I was trying to "make a funny"... They would still have minds of their own, right? So he wants to be a gardner.. how exactly do you plan on making him fight? ;)

If they cloned minds, whose would they clone? Cloning mine wouldn't yeild a fighter, cloning a fighter's just wouldn't be safe. So how would it even work out for fighting purposes? Oh yeah for those of you that didn't catch, if you cloned the mine of a man that LOVES to fight... (and is the PERFECT Human)... what do you do when he goes trigger happy?

body parts grown? good idea. cloning someone ad then harvesting their pars? noway in fucking hell. clones will b people too.

Has anyone read the book, Brave New World? That might change a few minds here...

Thanks for the reading suggestion guypunkr. I'll have to check that out.

I really don't know my position on this topic yet. On the fun side, I'd love to clone my favourite actress for a bed buddy, but who wouldn't. Morally, I don't really think its right, theres just too many complications it could cause.

ok lets go a step further.. jurassic park was nice.. but lets kick it up a notch..

say you could clone.. who would you clone..

aldolf hitler? jesus? if you cloned jesus.. and in this case for those that hate christanity.. let believe in this instance there is a god and a son named jesus..

would this clone have the powers of the orginial jesus..?

now ou clone the dead.. would they still have the same thoughts as they grow? or would thier environment shape them different..

say old albert.. instead of a genius.. he becomes a taxi driver..

but then lets say you find a way to map the brain.. like taking a image of a hd.. for restoring..

over and over.. but you would have to have the original dna sample... if you use a clone.. each clone there after (taking a sample of the newest one) they would degrade.. over time.. ack

DoD: clone troops.
DoL(dept of labor): work force.

you now have the ultimate workforce.. they dont have rights.. they are not citizins.. they are clones.. a slave force..

then they rise up.. kill us all then wonder why we had sex in the first place..

cloneing.. why clone yourself as the same gender.. why not make a opposite of yourself.. make a girl instead of a guy.. weird..

ahh the points are endless..


*note: if my views go on tangents and make no sense, go to books a million and check out scifi section.. lol i read entirely too much scifi*

i would like a clone to sit in for me on the boring parts of life while i do something fun. i dont know if i would go as far as sacrificing it for my own good. but yeah i would enjoy a clone. i think.

That mouse actually started out normal. The scientists took the cells for cartilage and grew them around a form but it wouldn't continue to grow or fill in without a living host so they implanted it on the back of the mouse. When they were ready to use it they removed it, stitched things up and the mouse was fine.


As for getting to the point where we can close humans. I personally thing that there will come our doomsday or sorts before we get to that point - there is too much opposition at this time from people there will have to be a desperate need for it. % years ago we would never have stood for all the national security that we encounter now especially at airports and such. The disaster of 9-11 removed most of the opposition.

I would not want to use the part from the clone. I believe that every human, cloned or not has a spirit. To harm another being for my benefit (except for my protection from them harming me) is just Wrong in my eyes.

I think cloning could be helpfull for ceating donor organs. It would be great if you'd have spare parts of yourself in the freezer.

I think that MOST people really have no idea what-so-ever how real cloning tech works. Many of the things that people worry about are really not possible, and really are created by hollywood. Or if they are possible they wont be allowed.

As for my views, i believe that humanity would be.. to put it bluntly, stupid beyond any possible description with the use of language, if we do NOT take advantage of cloning. The benefits will VASTLY out-weight any and all negative aspects.

Replacement organs would be producable by many many many means. Produced in liquid suspenson by themselves, grown in a headless husk (human or animal), or grown within other living animals such as pigs. (i mean.. we EAT them.. we slaughter THOUSANDS of them on a DAILY basis... how is this any worse.. it helps sustain us. Hell.. after you get your heart/lung/liver/spleen/urethra transplant from that pig that was growing a new part for you you can have it for dinner) These are very few of the almost infinite number of ways to do it. THEY DO NOT ALL HAVE TO BE EVIL. :)

Stem cell tech could produce the ability to grow entire organs or body parts inside the person that requires them. Stem cells are basically cells that arent specified yet. This means they have not yet turned into a specific type of cell, such as a skin cell or a liver cell. Stem cells could possibly, in time, be used to regenerate and repair damaged or lost anything from skin to organs to limbs. It could possibly be used to fight and eradicate cancer. It could cure and eradicate diseases like parkinson's disease, or diabetes, as well as COUNTLESS other diseases and sicknesses that have plagued our species, and others, for as long as we have existed.

And before anyone gets all upset about stem cells coming from fetuses.. well they are also found on places in the human body in a born human. For example, they can be found beneath teeth.. like when a child is growing their teeth. Although im not against using aborted fetuses to produce results. The child has already been torn from it's mother's womb and brutally slaughtered... we can atleast give the child SOME purpose for his/her life (all-be-it extremely short) and that is to save lives.. what would be more appropriate. Its either that or, quite literally, thrown in the garbage, or incinerated... what a waste.

DNA research can cure *DEATH BY OLD AGE*. Not only would you not die of old age.. but you would not age past a certain point. That means you *could* live to be 100+ and NOT LOOK like you are 100+. In fact you will look like you would in your prime... possibly even better depending on how well you take care of yourself. You would still die by other means, such as car accidents.. war.. natural disasters.. yet un-cured diseases/virii.. drug use.. brain damage/deterioration.

Death by old age is caused by.. well.. pretty much running out of usable cells. At the end of your double-helix DNA there is a "cap" of sorts, think of it as a lot of knots at the end of a braided rope. Every time a cell divides, your DNA divides along with it. Every time your DNA divides those "caps", called telomeres, shorten, causing your DNA to get closer and closer to "unraveling" as you get older. The older you get, the shorter they get, until you eventually start to run out of viable cells/DNA. Your body begins to deteriorate faster and faster until one day you just.. stop.

Certain parts of our bodies already produce the chemical (telomerase - a DNA polyerase) that extends these "caps". The problem is that it is produced in very small quantities and only in certain areas of the body in those small quantities. One of those places is skin. Since it is the largest organ of the body it requires the most DNA to keep it chuggin along.. grownin as normal.. healing those cuts and scrapes.. etc. Cloning technology can take advantage of telomerase by altering certain other parts of the body, such as vital organs (but not the brain) to produce it.. possibly helping to sustain their longevity.

As for over-population... whats the solution? Space travel/exploration/colonization. People laugh at that, but it is the INEVITABLE course for humanity if we dont obliterate ourselves before we attain it. The solar system is filled with planets and moons just waiting for us to take our rightful place in space. The solar system can sustain our expansion for a very long time. We would not need to travel outside of it for hundreds, possibly even thousands, of years. By the time we will need to, we will have advanced enough to do it.
To be absolutely honest, I'm rather pissed off that we have yet to expand our space program beyond the joke it is now. We have not even begun to CONSIDER scratching the surface of our potential in that frontier and i *can't stand* how this world is DRAGGING IT'S FEET on it.


In the end, people will still not live forever. People will always find a way to kill themselves and/or eachother. There will ALWAYS be death. There is no avoiding death. We MUST TAKE and HOLD life.. our lives.. for as long as we can.. it will never come again.