From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Tue Mar 26 2002 - 09:05:28 MST
"Robert J. Bradbury" wrote:
>
> Assuming that this isn't a hoax (some fact and reference
> checking would make sense here), then the idea of sending
> ones DNA out of the solar system on a solar sail propelled
> probe could be very interesting.
>
> See:
> http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=7824
> and
> http://www.TeamEncounter.com/index_static.html
>
> Now when I first read this I got quite excited.
It's a fair and fun idea, though I don't consider a clone of me to be me
any more than I would consider Harvey and Louis to be the same person.
I'd be more interested in it if the probe had an artificial womb and
tool assembler technologies on board, so as not to depend on the good
graces of some other race at the destination.
> Wow, I can send my DNA out on a probe and perhaps someday
> in the future scientists on another planet will be able
> to clone me. But then I thought, wait a minute, what
> if the probe ends up crashing into some planet with
> some primordial soup and ends up evolving into a Klingon
> like species that someday in the future decides to
> use their point source singularity weapons on the
> Matrioshka Brain around the sun into which humanity
> has evolved and into which I just happen to be uploaded.
>
> Is this really a good idea?
> Should we start a protest site now?
If you are uploaded, then your DNA is useless to someone wishing to do
you harm. I would also posit that any civilization less advanced than a
Matroishka Brain would be powerless to harm you.
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