This dates from probably year 10.
INTRODUCTION
The cloning of humans could be useful if it was done correctly. Say you have a terminal heart condition. Instead of waiting for someone else to die before you get a heart (which needs to be matched to your cell type) and then be immunosupressed for the rest of your life, cloning could be done. This can be extended to hands, arms, and whole bodies. Once computers are able to mimic the mind, once could feasibly create a new body and transfer ones consciousness from the old crusty body, to the new and improved version.
GROWING REPLACEMENT PARTS
When I say cloning, I do not mean on the whole body scale, just on the specific body part. Assuming medical science finds out how cells differentiate, then one could just grow the required part in a vat at an accelerated rate. The organ would then be an exact genetic match for the recipient and as a result, no rejection or immunosuppression difficulties would result. If your weak heart was a birth defect, geneticists could tweak your DNA a touch to eliminate the problem all together.
IMMORTALITY
If one were to clone a whole human, though it would be a genetic match, it would not be a personality match unless it has your memories. Thus, if I were to make another two of you, what we would effectively have would be triplets. With computers, eventually we will be able to record how a person’s brain works. Then all is required is to place this information in a computer’s memory and download it into the cloned copy. The clone could be a physical age of 20 when the original you is 80. Thus, as the clone would have all of your memories, it would in essence be you. Thus, what we have is immortality. When it comes to this, I would probably keep a few copies of myself on file and spread them thinly. Sort of like immortality insurance, should a copy of me cease to function, just replace with the most recent personality saved.
I see more problems with this than cloning. why bother with a new you, just steal a healthy youth when required, like in Freejack or in changing people’s identities Total Recall.
MORE HITLERS
This is scare-mongering. Despite the fact that no Hitler DNA remains, one would have to reproduce major life turning points, (and possibly everything that happened to the individual), see the movie Boys from Brazil. Though traits like intelligence and aggression are genetic, they can be overcome to some extent by the correct upbringing and education. Cries of playing God annoy me. When we breed cattle, or dogs, or plant strains, we have played God. Hospitals play God all the time, bringing people back from the grave, and prolonging lives that otherwise would have ended long ago.
WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE BANNED (or “Oh, is that my knee jerking?”)
If we are to find out how to grow up replacement parts, we need to be able to conduct cloning experiments. By imposing a blanket ban on such activities is not in the aid of science, and is a very short term and close minded view of things. By experimentation, one may discover how to signal a cloned cell to grow up as an arm or a leg, and not a whole person. Does this piece of flesh have any humanity. Of course it does, but it would be your humanity, as it would be your arm or leg, grown for you. No more rejection drugs, and no more amputees.