X-Message-Number: 16650 From: "Trygve Bauge" <> References: <> <003901c0fbd4$637319a0$> <010d01c0fbef$049fa220$> <00c701c0fc01$f177c8e0$> Subject: Re: Isn't it better to be cloned than just to be rotting? Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 18:48:06 +0200 on the cryonics Europe list "John de Rivaz" <> said > A clone is just a special case of a child. It is not a continuation of the > cell donor for the clone. It may look like him, but it would be brought up > differently and be a different person. The nearest it would be is an > identical twin. Such a procedure may benefit the bereaved in some very > unusual circumstances (especially people who lost their pets and wanted > another identical animal) but it is of zero benefit to the deceased. It is more than just any one kid. Traditionally people have survived through their kids, and traditionally most people prefer their own kids to adopting those of others. There is a motivation factor here that we should not overlook, even with only half their own DNA surviving in each kid (and for many males it hasn't been their kid at all and thus no genetic survival, they have just been duped into thinking it was theirs.) By cloning one would get almost 100 percent survival of one's own gene combination. I see that as an improvement. And something worth pursuing. Though I would prefer not to die, and would prefer to be frozen when I die, I still think cloning is better than getting regular kids, and certainly better than just rotting away. The question is not one of cloning or cryonics, but of getting both or at least being cloned when cryonic reanimation is not an option. You yourself are a different person today than you were yesterday and 10 years ago. anyone living changes over time, I thus see no problem with a clone continuing this process. I just think it would be nice to have a clone and let it start out by learning something about its predecessor, before wandering off on its own. If the whole cloning process becomes common and widespread it might spin off a lot of related tissue cloning that will benefit the restoration and reanimation of anyone frozen too e.g. it might become easier to repair still worse case corpses. Sincerely, Trygve Bauge Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16650