X-Message-Number: 7938
Date:  Tue, 25 Mar 97 01:42:26 
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Henny's problem

[Original Date sent:        Sat, 22 Mar 1997 17:41:16]

Olaf Henny, #7913, wrote:

>With all due respect to Wilmut and Campbell [who 
>cloned the sheep], the above seems to relate to the cloning 
>of my endocrine system, like climbing a step ladder 
>relates to reaching the moon.  The Scotts have merely 
>found a variation to the natural reproductive process, 
>which allowed one DNA absolute dominance.

They have demonstrated that there is enough information in 
adult, somatic cell, mammalian DNA to make a complete 
organism including the endocrine system. Yes, "a variation 
to the natural reproductive process"--but more than just 
that. It shows how organs or parts that are "twins" of the 
originals and not just "genetically related" or "from the 
same species" might be produced. You wouldn't have to 
deal with getting some "foreign" body parts or glands on 
reanimation from a neuro, but could have "your own" 
instead with high fidelity.

>But back to my concerns, that while I agree, that the 
>primary 'seat' of the essence of my personality is located 
>in my brain, a significant part of it is, what I call my soul, 
>my hormone system.

Nobody is disputing that your hormone system is impor-
tant--just that it's irreplaceable.

>I am not quite sure how that [the hormone system], even 
>giving cloning, can be integrated into an artificial 
>construct.

A lot of people aren't sure. However, the "artificial con-
struct," though it might prove useful, is really not essential 
in terms of your survival--or it doesn't seem so. I think 
many cryonicists would just like to come back in a natural 
body--as a start at least. The body would be healthy, with 
aging curbed and disease symptoms eliminated, but other-
wise no different from those of humans today. 

>It is reasonable to assume, that if we can selectively clone 
>an endocrine system, without cloning the rest of the 
>individual with it, we may not be far from cloning all but 
>the cranial part of the CNS.  So where does the artificial 
>construct come in, that many of us anticipate uploading 
>to?

Where it comes in, is that it's a POSSIBLE OPTION, not a 
KNOWN REQUIREMENT.

Mike Perry

http://www.alcor.org

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