Now that human cloning's apparently upon us, is immortality as well? (My title)

CNN.com ^ | Dec. 27th, 2002 | CNN.com

[pabianice]

We may have the distinction of belonging to the last generation to die of old age.

Happy New Year.

[RightWhale]

transfer one's brain's memory lobes

Memory might not be located in the lobes. Besides that, even with immortality, the average lifetime would be about 600 years anyway.

[YadaYada]

Do you guys actually believe this? Do you think God would allow this?

[Dakotabound]

Here's another thread with a philosophical bent on Raelianism and the media.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/812998/posts

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>Do you think God would allow this?<<<


After Auschwitz, who can guess accurately?

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>even with immortality, the average lifetime would be about 600 years anyway.<<<


Why so?

[RGSpincich]

It's not even that close. This is a new twist, alien TV evangelism. The "grace" period of a week or more will be used to bilk the weak of mind.

[End The Hypocrisy]

If that's the case, wouldn't the folks at http://www.ftc.gov get hot under the collar?

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>We may have the distinction of belonging to the last generation to die of old age.<<<


Hopefully anatomy won't be destiny for us, either, though...

[RightWhale]

People die in accidents or of sudden disease or while fighting. Even with immortality it would be possible to catch cold or hit a bridge abutment or have a war.

[End The Hypocrisy]

Perhaps one's memories can be saved on a database, along with one's DNA (a la The Sixth Day) so that one can be cloned in case one dies, and essentially revived?

[End The Hypocrisy]

MSNBC.com now has a free video on this morning's press conference:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/852027.asp?0cv=CA01

[RightWhale]

It is not known where the memory resides, or even if it resides somewhere. These are very interesting areas of speculation, but we are [one might assume] far from a technology that can transfer memories.

[AndrewC]

It is not known where the memory resides, or even if it resides somewhere.

Are we speaking of software or hardware? If it is hardware, can the hardware be faithfully replicated. If it is software, where does the conscious mind reside?

The consequences of either are paradoxical. If hardware, who would be the real conscious "me" among a group of clones? If software, who would be the real conscious "me" among a group of "machines" running the same software? Who gets to be "me"?

[Old Professer]

Better yet, offer a selection of programs approved by the state; yeah, that's it, peace innertime.

[RightWhale]

Who gets to be "me"?

Such have been the questions of Sci-Fi. But now we are moving beyond Sci-Fi. Cloning of humans is happening. One today, another next month, a series after that, more and more clones and still no preparation in the areas of ethics and of the law. Looks like we will deal with the problems as they arise, as usual.

For memory, I like the idea of the Akashic level combined with the 5-dimensional ekpyrotic universe model where the size of the 5th dimension is roughly the size of a neuron, but how can we account for taste?

[js1138]

The short answer to your question about memory transplants is ... no. Not only is it not currently possible, the question can't even be properly asked.

[js1138]

OJ walked in spite of DNA evidence.

OJ walked because the jurors hated and distrusted the police. Science had nothing to do with their decision.

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>>Not only is [memory transfer] not currently possible, the question can't even be properly asked.<<<


If somebody on this thread called that "pseudo philosophy" I'd be hard-pressed to defend it, so hopefully folks will refrain.

[js1138]

It is not known where the memory resides, or even if it resides somewhere. These are very interesting areas of speculation, but we are [one might assume] far from a technology that can transfer memories.

Wherever the memory "resides" it is co-resident with the structure of the brain, and all its unique interconnections. The most common speculation would say there is no separation of software and hareware.