Fw: [Vision2020] Re: Cloning

[Robert Dickow]

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Donovan Arnold" <donovanarnold@hotmail.com>

 > Now shy of fingerprints or a retinal scan, not much of a chance of
knowing
> which of the three or five clones it was.

Actually, clones will each have distinct fingerprints, as do twins. I don't
think anybody knows why this is so, and it is pretty interesting.

 > But if a twisted person can clone themselves for 3 grand a piece, it
could
> be tempting to create this scenario.

 But there is one major flaw with this whole line of argument. Clones can
not
 be created in an adult form. The criminal who makes a clone or two of
 himself will have to wait up to 18-20 years for the clone to reach
adulthood
 (usually) to commit his crime using his clones. So, a criminal using
cloning
 to commit crimes is again highly unlikely.

 But, just to explore the nature of the multiple clone crime scenario, which
 could happen under different conditions than the conspiratorial scenario
 cited above, let's do: Legally the witness identification problem could
 happen, as you point out, with twins, triplets, quadruplets etc., if
 identical phenotypes. The case investigators would have a tougher time, but
 there is more than just looks at pinning a crime on the particular person.
 Alibis, for example, and much other evidence can still identify the actual
 criminal in such instances. Fingerprints will be associated with only one
 person, clone or not. Is the situation any tougher when the criminal is not
 viewed by any witnesses at all during the crime? Sometimes, sometimes not
at
 all. So 'looks' don't really matter in some cases at all anyway.

 > In terms of your clone to take out the garbage, I think it would end up
> being you that takes out the garbage while your clone catches the last
>quarter of the football game. :)

 Boy, that's probably truer than we know... and I don't even usually watch
 football.

 Bob Dickow