Intiresting Idea...

This whole thing is theoretical, so bear with me.

If nanotechnology was advanced enough that complete 1:1 copy of a physical object was possible, I wonder if it would be possible to copy an entire human body. Like, a complete 1:1 copy down to the exact last detail (neurons, blood vessels, ect.). I also wonder if it would function? I mean, if you believe in a human soul, then probably not, but I mean think about it; an exact copy of a human, down to the last neuron, with the same blood pumping through the veins and the same electrical current running through the brain.

Just something interesting I was thinking about.

 

Well, you'd come up with a soulless creature like the Frankenstein monster.
It might even function at some level, but I doubt it would be much fun at a party.:-D

:cool

 

So a cloned human has no soul ?
Think there aren't any cloned humans on this planet ?

just askin'

 

No dude, a cloned human still grows from an embryo, just like a normal human. What I'm saying is if you took an adult human and fully replicated him/her, like a 1:1 ratio copy; every nerve, every blood cell, etc.

 

If you want to see humans with no soul, just go to Washington.

:cool

 

I think your question beckons so many debates it is not an answerable question at all.... more of a theoretical debate about what and how a clone would be created and whether imperfections would create this or that and would eventually end up a Religious debate like all the rest do.

Now what IS an interesting question is what humans would do with the power to perfectly replicate anything?

The answer is the same as what we would do with time travel.

We would abuse it and destroy either the planet or ourselves or each other.
Why?

Because we would first figure out how to use it as a weapon.

So, more importantly than human replication is ..... What ARE we going to do about this Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black problem?

 

We as humans can't physically or mentally create anything perfect because we in and of ourselves are flawed. Even the machines we build fail because they were built by imperfect beings.
I'm not trying to turn this into any debate religious or otherwise just stating my opinion.(If it even makes sense to anyone but myself).

 

Ah, while I agree with you, that was not my meaning. When I said "Perfectly Replicate" I meant a "perfect copy" flaws included.

Example: If you used a broken CD drive as your "Original" to copy, then a "Perfectly Replicated" CD drive would be broken in the exact same way.

Man, that kind of makes the machine really good for creating more broken stuff than we already have ..... THAT'S what they'd use it for!
Create so much broken stuff and start charging us for disposal by items or weight..... hang on... this is already happening :-D

 

Hehehe Ned. Interesting concept. We now have 3D printers coming around for protyping, crude yet beautiful machines. Hey, it's first generation ATM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aghzpO_UZE

 

We've already taken the first steps on that road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D749wZSlb0

 

I don't believe that one for a second. Ever heard of the CIA program MK Ultra ? If not, google it.
On the speculative side of it, ever see the movie MOON ? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/

Great movie dealing with the use of human clones.
REALLY good movie .

I think Nedlamar is right, this is such a broad subject with so many questions and possibilities, this thread will wither die from that, or perhaps even live long than the FART thread !! :-D

 

3D printing is definitely a step in that direction.

 

Its still a LOONG way off from replicating specific materials .

 

In case anyone missed the link on the previous video, here it is. They currently grow skin in solution and layer it on but depending on the severity of the burn it will replace that today's methods lack. I love how the deeper layers could be printed on a living burn victim. However, it'll be a while yet and I can't imagine how much higher medical insurance will cost, besides keeping the rich ones alive beyond their years.

Who wants to see a perfectly healthy grandad drooling out of the side of his mouth not knowing who you are. Nah, I'd rather be dead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vi...annotation_id=annotation_520183&v=dHz4akTdno0

 

I think of the same thing all the same,I don't really dig the whole soul thing but I do understand what you mean,what makes each human brain unique?

What if you split your brain in two straight down the middle but had the technology to repair it and glue it back together, would it still be you? What if you split it into quarters,then eighths,then 16th's and each time a surgeon could fix it back together perfectly as it was before would it be you still?

O.K What if you split your brain up into molecules,then atoms,then basic particles then reassembled them,would it still be you or would your conciousness end the moment your brain was taken apart.

So if you split your brain into two halves 'it doesn't half to be half even remove half the particles' but instead of glueing them back together you grew new halves for each piece of brain,which one would be you?Neither,both,just one?

If the answer is 'yes' it is still you what would happen if you changed some of the basic particles before reassembly? What if you removed a few particles and replaced them with fresh ones at what point does it stop being you and become someone else,1%,10%,99%? What if you changed every single particle for a fresh one,all the quarks,electrons,neutrons ect. but replaced them perfectly would you re-awaken? If so what if you put two identical versions back together which one would be you?

When do you lose conciousness never to awaken from a first person perspective? When does you soul die as you speculant?

 

Lot's of good questions there Rikky. No answers here man. At least not yet.

 

Here's my perspective. You can put it back perfectly. But I don't believe it would be the same something no matter how minute would have changed. Take the Human Brain for one. You can cut it in half and put it back together. The thing is you have then severed special things and they would go back together but not the exact same way. Like if you take the tip of your finger off. Sure the doctor can re-attach it perfectly but would it operate the exact same?
(Me over-complicating an answer again. Hehe)

 

Dude, exactly. When you are working with the brain, you are working with an insanely small objects. I think it would be insane if technology reached a point where we could decipher exactly how memories are stored. I mean, all it is is the way the atoms are arranged, right?

 

Well, there has been cases of the Corpus Callosum, (which is the large bundle of nerve fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain), being cut, either by an accident, or deliberately by surgery, in a crude effort to stop Status Epilepticus, (constant epileptic seizures).
Neurologists and Physicians have found that the brain under these circumstances actually does act like two minds. (So it is possible for someone to be literally in two minds, lol!)
Also, with accidents and strokes, sometimes half of the brain, (more?) dies off. I know a close friend of mine that the left hemisphere of her brain is basically dead from a stroke and a heart attack and a mechanical heart valve to replace a tumor on it.
No, she's not mentally handicapped, in fact she's pretty intelligent, so the human brain is pretty good at 're-wiring' tasks, so to speak.
Now - metaphysical aspects of humanity, such as mind forces, or souls are another matter, that is pretty hard to prove or disprove empirically, although there is any amount of anecdotal evidence and testimonies.

 

Well said Pantom!^.^

 

My hat's off to you Phantom. I don't have anything to say against that.

 

I have HALF A MIND to quit posting in this thread . . . :cool
Could have long thread potential, though .
Speculant was initially talking about a molecule by molecule replication of (I assume) a grown human . I suppose technically that's a bit different than a clone, but I suppose it depends on how the clone was brought to be .
Who is to say that a "soul" isn't the total sum aura of a working brain, whether it is brought about by natural birth or fabricated in a lab ?

 

Why? This thread actually makes you think.

 

The HALF A MIND comment was was just a joke (people were posting about cutting brains in half)

 

When sometimes a half a brain is better than a whole one:-

http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...rue-when-half-brain-better-than-whole&ref=rss

 

Ya, the brain is a truly malleable thing, I wish CPU's could do the same thing. At least be able to run with half their cores being fried. The brain keeps amazing me and I'm not talking about mine either.:-D

 

I'd love to get all the cpu's I own and combine them into one super cpu,not like a home made super computer with 50 identical mobo's just one motherboard with 10 of every cpu socket:-D

A one square meter motherboard that looks like a waffle with 10 agp slots and 10 pci-e slots mmmmm....

But I guess that's beside the point:confused

 

But would it have a soul ?