Solution to 'most' of our problems lies in cloning and something a little more

[JoeRoccoCassara]

Cloning is possible, but is mind swapping?

 

If so, and we managed to master both, using current technology, most of our problems would be solved.

 

Imagine you in your childhood body with the knowledge you have now, never having to worry about weight loss, weight gain, old age, physical limitations or even death?

 

All of these things are possible given perfect cloning and successful whole-body transplants....

 

For example, if you wanted a body that has adapted to be perfect unlike your own body, say a perfect lean build, all you'd have to do is create a premature clone using your DNA, put that clone in an invornment reflecting that of a mother's womb, with a large deference of not being 'born' until adulthood, say 26 years of age (Although adulthood varies depending on who you are), and provide this clone with the 'perfect' amount of nutrition (Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals) that it in particular would need to grow such a build automatically.

 

And then when it is born replace it's own mind with yours, and you are physically perfect!

[Moontanman]

Cloning is possible, but is mind swapping?

 

If so, and we managed to master both, using current technology, most of our problems would be solved.

 

Imagine you in your childhood body with the knowledge you have now, never having to worry about weight loss, weight gain, old age, physical limitations or even death?

 

All of these things are possible given perfect cloning and successful whole-body transplants....

 

For example, if you wanted a body that has adapted to be perfect unlike your own body, say a perfect lean build, all you'd have to do is create a premature clone using your DNA, put that clone in an invornment reflecting that of a mother's womb, with a large deference of not being 'born' until adulthood, say 26 years of age (Although adulthood varies depending on who you are), and provide this clone with the 'perfect' amount of nutrition (Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals) that it in particular would need to grow such a build automatically.

 

And then when it is born replace it's own mind with yours, and you are physically perfect!

 

I'm pretty sure someone will give us more reasons than we want as to why this isn't possible but I'm with you either until it happens or it's shown to be completely impossible. As for me I want a Centaur body, hey why not? If you can build a perfect body and then mind swap then why not a build a custom body? ;) I want a centaur body like the ones described in John Varley's book trilogy, Titan, Wizard, and Demon! there has been other speculative fiction where custom bodies were proposed. I believe it was Greg Bear in his story "Eon" about a hollowed out asteroid and it's it's colonization.

[modest]

Cloning is possible, but is mind swapping?

 

No. A clone is a copy of genetic material and doesn't in an of itself have anything to do with transferring or copying a brain.

 

If so, and we managed to master both, using current technology, most of our problems would be solved.

 

Would we still have children? Because I see some pretty big potential population problems... unless we are by then colonizing space.

 

And then when it is born replace it's own mind with yours, and you are physically perfect!

 

A brain transplant plus cloning isn't a solution to "old age" exactly. It would solve the problem of your body deteriorating over time, but not your brain. A person's brain goes bad over time just like their body - both age.

 

If we eventually develop the ability to keep a brain functioning and working well indefinitely then presumably we could do the same with a person's body. There would then be no need for a clone.

 

~modest

 

PS,

Your link to mind swapping references some down right disturbing experiments done on monkeys and mice ;) Yikes!

[Moontanman]

Spoil sport. I guess I'll have to settle for down loading the contents of my brain into a cyborg..... I'd still rather have a Varley type centaur body! (if you had read the books you'd know why! yeah I'm a perv)

[JoeRoccoCassara]

I'm pretty sure someone will give us more reasons than we want as to why this isn't possible but I'm with you either until it happens or it's shown to be completely impossible. As for me I want a Centaur body, hey why not? If you can build a perfect body and then mind swap then why not a build a custom body? ;) I want a centaur body like the ones described in John Varley's book trilogy, Titan, Wizard, and Demon! there has been other speculative fiction where custom bodies were proposed. I believe it was Greg Bear in his story "Eon" about a hollowed out asteroid and it's it's colonization.

 

I didn't think of that.

 

I don't see custom bodies being impossible. We have mutations naturally, why not generate a mutated humanoid inside of a womb? Or more scientifically 'cause' mutations in clone subjects.

 

Your probably joking, but I'm not.

[JoeRoccoCassara]

A brain transplant plus cloning isn't a solution to "old age" exactly. It would solve the problem of your body deteriorating over time, but not your brain. A person's brain goes bad over time just like their body - both age.

 

If we eventually develop the ability to keep a brain functioning and working well indefinitely then presumably we could do the same with a person's body. There would then be no need for a clone.

 

But wouldn't a ripe body help the brain function longer?

 

I didn't exactly mean immortality.

[Moontanman]

Why not practical immortality? I take these things seriously, at least the concept. I may never live long enough to see it but at some point or capabilities will be far enough ahead that we will seem god like to our ancestors (us) saying something is impossible is usually a good way to be wrong. We might not ever see these things but it doesn't hurt to speculate.

[freeztar]

I don't see custom bodies being impossible.

 

Perhaps not, but were a long ways from that possibility if it is indeed possible (not to mention moral).

 

We have mutations naturally, why not generate a mutated humanoid inside of a womb? Or more scientifically 'cause' mutations in clone subjects.

It's not that simple. For instance, chromosome number vary between animals. One would have to actually engineer the entire DNA using selected genes and then create the chromosomes ;). Even then, you would run into protein issues, not to mention endogenous retroviruses and all the baggage they carry.

[JoeRoccoCassara]

Why not practical immortality? I take these things seriously, at least the concept. I may never live long enough to see it but at some point or capabilities will be far enough ahead that we will seem god like to our ancestors (us) saying something is impossible is usually a good way to be wrong. We might not ever see these things but it doesn't hurt to speculate.

 

Yeah!

 

Take that Modest!

[JoeRoccoCassara]

Perhaps not, but were a long ways from that possibility if it is indeed possible (not to mention moral).

 

 

It's not that simple. For instance, chromosome number vary between animals. One would have to actually engineer the entire DNA using selected genes and then create the chromosomes ;). Even then, you would run into protein issues, not to mention endogenous retroviruses and all the baggage they carry.

 

 

There's always a cure, always a stall, always another option. And ideas are plenty.

 

Wouldn't want to make it too easy now would we?

[Donk]

The age revolution: How to live to be 150

Experts believe that the first person to live half way through their second century has already been born. Jeremy Laurance, health editor, reports on the stunning breakthroughs that science promises, while Sarah Harris outlines 10 ways to extend your life.

 

I've read elsewhere that that person is probably over 50 years old now (yay!!!) and rich (dammit!)

[modest]

Why not practical immortality? I take these things seriously, at least the concept. I may never live long enough to see it but at some point or capabilities will be far enough ahead that we will seem god like to our ancestors (us) saying something is impossible is usually a good way to be wrong. We might not ever see these things but it doesn't hurt to speculate.

 

Yeah!

 

Take that Modest!

 

Ok ;)

 

But wouldn't a ripe body help the brain function longer?

 

I didn't exactly mean immortality.

 

Yes, I think having a brand new body would help a brain get along much better and longer. I just think it's important to note that a human brain is built to last a lifetime - not multiple lifetimes. Swapping bodies solves the body problem, but we also need to think about the mind. I have a feeling a two or three hundred year old brain probably wouldn't even be able to keep a new body alive, much less contain any semblance of the person it used to be.

 

~modest

[JoeRoccoCassara]

Ok ;)

 

 

 

Yes, I think having a brand new body would help a brain get along much better and longer. I just think it's important to note that a human brain is built to last a lifetime - not multiple lifetimes. Swapping bodies solves the body problem, but we also need to think about the mind. I have a feeling a two or three hundred year old brain probably wouldn't even be able to keep a new body alive, much less contain any semblance of the person it used to be.

 

~modest

 

It works both ways, you can make the body strong enough to adapt tons of movement from the slightest thought, you could make the body regenerate, fertalize, and strengthen the brain back to it's old self.

[JoeRoccoCassara]

Evolution is like logging into a computer, all you need is the password.

[freeztar]

It works both ways, you can make the body strong enough to adapt tons of movement from the slightest thought, you could make the body regenerate, fertalize, and strengthen the brain back to it's old self.

 

I'm not aware of any mechanism that would allow what you suggest. This is beginning to seems like a thread for the Strange Claims forum rather than Biology.

[freeztar]

Evolution is like logging into a computer, all you need is the password.

 

Evolution is a very hard concept to pigeonhole into a metaphor.

Your metaphor is over-simplistic, imho. Besides, what does evolution have to do with this thread?

[JoeRoccoCassara]

I'm not aware of any mechanism that would allow what you suggest. This is beginning to seems like a thread for the Strange Claims forum rather than Biology.

 

 

Advanced gene therapy can cause mutations that cause the body to behave such as this.